


Glee Season Fix

by alwaysfallingforanidea, becausehiships, Chazzam, fablewriter, gingerfic, GleeSeasonFix, nefariouscatluv, sapienveneficus, wowbright



Series: Glee Season Fix Project [3]
Category: Glee
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Brown University, Canon Compliant through Season 5, Glee Season Fix, Los Angeles, Multi, New York City, Ohio, Yale - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-01-04
Updated: 2015-05-31
Packaged: 2018-03-05 05:29:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 22
Words: 242,863
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3107858
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alwaysfallingforanidea/pseuds/alwaysfallingforanidea, https://archiveofourown.org/users/becausehiships/pseuds/becausehiships, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chazzam/pseuds/Chazzam, https://archiveofourown.org/users/fablewriter/pseuds/fablewriter, https://archiveofourown.org/users/gingerfic/pseuds/gingerfic, https://archiveofourown.org/users/GleeSeasonFix/pseuds/GleeSeasonFix, https://archiveofourown.org/users/nefariouscatluv/pseuds/nefariouscatluv, https://archiveofourown.org/users/sapienveneficus/pseuds/sapienveneficus, https://archiveofourown.org/users/wowbright/pseuds/wowbright
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Glee Season Fix is the result of the combined forces of fanfiction writers, artists and readers who passionately worked together to create their own alternative version of Glee's season 6. Based on where we left off in 5x20 “The Untitled Rachel Berry Project,” we continue and end the show’s journey in our own way. Episodes get released each Sunday, 6pm EST. Promotional stills and song spoilers can be found on our <a href="http://gleeseasonfix.tumblr.com/"> Tumblr </a></p>
            </blockquote>





	1. New New Directions

**Author's Note:**

> Episode 1 was written by [ writtenfables ](http://archiveofourown.org/users/writtenfables/pseuds/writtenfables) and [ gingerfic ](http://archiveofourown.org/users/gingerfic/pseuds/gingerfic)  
> Beta by [ HKvoyage ](http://hkvoyage.tumblr.com) and [ alwaysfallingforanidea ](http://alwaysfallingforanidea.tumblr.com/)  
> Also available in: [ Italian (Nightbirdmate) ](http://nightbirdmate.tumblr.com/post/107532089891/glee-season-fix)
> 
> Disclaimer: This is a work of fanfiction. All the characters and backstories belong to Glee and its creators.  
> Glee Season Fix (“GSF”) was written independently of spoilers about Glee Season 6. We realize that some songs or events are bound to overlap, but GSF is an independent story and we were not trying to borrow or imitate anything (nor did we shy away from doing what we wanted just because there was a spoiler about it).
> 
> Character and relationship tags will be updated with new people and pairings that show up each week. So if your favourite isn't listed, fret not. They might show up as soon as next week.
> 
> We have included songs in these stories because we wanted to stay consistent with how the show has always been. There are links to full versions of each song, as well as song lyrics written out in the scene. We hope you will enjoy listening as well as reading, but be aware that the written version is shortened (because reading full songs is boring, and the show has almost always done shortened versions), whereas the audio versions are the full songs. So if you try to listen while reading, it will probably not line up. We debated over the best way to do this and this is what we settled on. We hope you will enjoy it.
> 
> Where possible, the links go to versions of the song performed by the actors from the show, and we especially encourage you to check those out! In this episode, those songs are Mercedes’ song “Leave a Light On” and Rachel’s song “Whispering.”
> 
> Content warning: mentions Finn.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The old New Directions members are busy living their lives in autumn 2014. Some of them are about to take interesting new directions: Mercedes and Brittany surprisingly meet familiar faces at their shopping-mall tour stop in Columbus, Ohio and almost literally “vibrate" in excitement when they witness the formation of a new performance group. Tina at Brown University and Quinn at Yale both academically kick butts, while Santana shows up on a TV set in Los Angeles to kick Rachel’s butt, whose star has not exactly shined as brightly as she had anticipated when she said Goodbye Broadway months before. In the meantime in New York City, Artie eagerly prepares for one of the most important film projects in his life, while Kurt and Blaine enjoy their time of domestic bliss together.

SEPTEMBER 2014

\-----------------------------------

A Mall in Columbus, Ohio

\-----------------------------------

_And I say hell to the noooooo!_

Mercedes' final note filled the mall courtyard and was met with enthusiastic applause. Her debut song had always been a hit with audiences, so she had included it in her tour setlist even though most of the songs were from her new album.

“Thank you Ohio, I am so happy being here with you today!” Mercedes waved and beamed at her audience as she moved to the center of the stage for the final song of the concert. Brittany winked at her as they passed each other. Mercedes blew a kiss back to her favorite backup dancer as she took her position and the music started. The crowd quieted as Mercedes opened her mouth to [sing](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mW7oActaKI).

_I know the night's so lonely babe_   


Mercedes had long since left behind the “park and bark” performances of high school, but since she was singing she was still content to leave the most energetic dancing to Brittany and the other backups. She strutted around the stage, high on the energy of live performing and the fact that she was living her dream.

_ So baby leave a light on for me  
When I'm gone _

Mercedes had been singing this song in dozens of malls all across the country for the last few months. In the routine of it, she didn't always think about the words she was singing. Today though it was different. Maybe it was being in Ohio again that made the words about coming home seem more meaningful... and made her think about the person that she knew was in Ohio. A person she really missed.

_ Leave a light on for me  
Cause I'm coming home _

As the song drew to a close Mercedes scanned the crowd looking for familiar faces. Lima was an hour and a half away and most of her family had come for her opening concert in New York City, so she wasn’t necessarily expecting anyone to come see her today. Still, she couldn’t help but look as she waved and blew kisses to the crowd before turning to walk backstage.

Brittany fell into step beside her and slipped an arm around her back. “It was a good show today,” she observed as they headed into the little curtained off space that served as their dressing room.

“Yeah, it was. As glad as I am to not live in Ohio anymore, it’s still exciting to be back in my home state, you know?” Mercedes sat in a folding chair and pulled off her chic heeled boots, flexing first one foot and then the other.

“My favorite part of home is the people, and my favorite people aren’t here anymore,” Brittany shrugged, reaching into the cooler and handing a water bottle to Mercedes while grabbing another for herself.

The shorter woman nodded as she pulled her boots back on. “Sure, I get that.”

“Santana moved to LA with Rachel after that month on tour with us,” Brittany continued with a gesture of her water bottle. “So that’s where I am going when we’re done with this.”

Mercedes grew quiet. She took a long slow drink of water, to try to cover the awkward pause, but somehow Brittany knew what she was thinking about. “How is Sam doing?” she asked.

“Oh he’s good, we talk on the phone a couple of times a week.”

“I know.”

"He actually started a tumblr, and at first it was just this dorky superhero and comic book stuff, but recently he's started drawing this comic strip of his own. It's pretty clever actually. Have you seen it?" Mercedes reached into the pocket of her jacket for her cell phone, and opened the app to show Brittany the posts.

Brittany downed her entire bottle of water in one continuous drink, then smacked her lips in satisfaction and leaned over to look at the small screen Mercedes was holding out to her.

“Those are magical!” Brittany announced with enthusiasm a minute later.

“I know, I never realized he could draw so well, and they’re funny too,” Mercedes agreed.

“No, I mean that guy in the picture has magic, that’s how he flies, right?”

Mercedes chuckled. “Yes Britt, yes…” She smiled to herself as she scrolled through the recent posts. She wouldn’t admit to anyone--even Brittany--how much time she spent looking at these. It felt like a way to be in touch with Sam without appearing needy by calling him every day. She caught herself just in time to repress a sigh, and to narrowly avoid being knocked off-balance by a huge hug from…

“Unique?!”

“Mercedes, you are amazing!” the tall young woman gushed. She pulled Mercedes to her feet as other familiar faces streamed into the backstage area. Marley, Jake, Ryder, Kitty, Sugar, and... Sam?

His lighter eyes met her dark ones just before he reached her and the familiar warm arms wrapped themselves around her.

"You're always amazing" Sam breathed next to her ear. He stepped back to let everyone else have a chance to hug her as well, but the huge smile on his face didn't waver.

"Wow you guys, thank you all so much for coming out here to see me!" Mercedes was thrilled to see them all but feeling a little overwhelmed as well. Brittany was standing off to the side looking unsurprised about the whole thing.

"Brittany, did you know they were coming?!" Mercedes asked.

"Sam called me to ask what time the show was," the blonde explained nonchalantly. "I didn't know they were coming though. He didn't say anything about that." She shot a dirty look at Sam, followed by a teasing smile so that he would know that she forgave him anyway.

"You looked like you were having so much fun on that stage," Marley said brightly. “I mean you really know what you’re doing. You sing so well and you just look so at home on that stage. I’m so glad we came.”

“It is pretty awesome,” Mercedes agreed.

“I’m glad we got a chance to do that a little in glee club,” Marley added wistfully. "It was really fun. I miss it."

"Me too," Ryder agreed.

"We all had fun performing," Kitty chimed in. "It's too bad we lost our funding."

"I bet my daddy would pay for us to make a new glee club," Sugar offered, "except we would need more people again." She made a pouty face. "Why do we always have such a hard time getting enough people? Glee club is fun! They should be flocking to us!"

"Why do we have to be a glee club?" Jake asked suddenly. "Why do we have to compete or have a certain number of people or any of that? Why can't we just sing and dance and perform because we want to?"

"Where would we do it, genius?" Kitty spat back.

"We sang at the school dances," Unique pointed out.

"And weddings!" Brittany added excitedly.

"I performed at a Bat Mitzvah once," Sam suggested, though he received some shocked and confused looks in return. "You guys are right, you don't have to have a formal glee club to still do what you love. You can make your own group. I'll help you!"

Mercedes saw the excitement in Sam's face and knew he was going to put all his energy into helping these kids make their group a reality. Not that they were really kids anymore, she reminded herself, they're all seniors now!

"I think that the fabulousness that is Mercedes Jones has inspired us all to find our own fabulousness!" Unique announced, drawing everyone's attention back to the reason they were all here.

"Who's hungry?" Mercedes asked the group. "I just spent the last hour and a half singing and dancing and I need to feed this fabulousness before it passes out!"

"There's a food court down that way," Ryder offered with a gesture. "I saw it as we came in."

"Well then, shall we?" Mercedes asked, holding out her arms to either side. Unique linked elbows with her on one side and Marley did the same on the other side and they all headed down the hall together.

\-----------------------------------

A New England college campus

\-----------------------------------

Tina strode confidently down the wide walkway at Brown University on her way home from her last class of the day. She had a lot of homework to do tonight, but now that she was in her second year here she was used to the workload and she didn’t mind much. She felt a vibration in her pocket and pulled out her cell phone to see that Quinn was calling.

“Hello pretty lady!” she greeted her friend. The two of them had gotten closer over the last year now that they were both going to Ivy League schools. Of course they knew that their friends who were studying or starting careers in performing arts were working hard too, but it wasn’t quite the same, and Tina and Quinn had bonded over their academic similarities.

“Hey Tina,” Quinn’s smile seemed to come through her voice, even on the phone. “How did that research paper go?”

“Ugh, it kept me up too late for a week straight,” Tina whined, “but I’m pretty sure I will get an ‘A’ out of it.”

“Good girl!” Quinn cheered. “I’m so glad to hear that. I know you were really stressed about it.”

“Well, it’s always something! How is it going with your presentation group?”

“Thankfully everyone is pulling their weight,” Quinn shared. “I don’t really like group projects because it seems like there’s always someone who is slacking. But I guess by the time someone makes it to their third year at Yale most of the slackers have dropped out.”

Quinn giggled and Tina joined her.

“Soo, how’s the boy?” Tina pried.

“Oh Puck is fine, I think. I haven’t actually seen him for two months, but we talk on the phone a lot and on skype and texting. I’ve never tried to do a long-distance relationship before, and it’s weird...but the fact that we’re far apart means I can focus on my studies so I think maybe it’s a good thing. In high school I was boy crazy and I think it affected my ability to focus.”

Tina snorted at the memory of Quinn’s dating life in high school. “Well I’m glad it’s working for you Quinnie, because I’ve gone out with a few guys, but let’s just say there’s nobody here who has distracted me enough to make it to a third date.”

“Awwwww,” Quinn sympathized. “You know, having a few failed relationships isn’t a terrible thing. It gives you a chance to learn from your mistakes. Plus when you have to work at it you get a chance to figure out what you really do and don’t want. I have definitely made my share of mistakes, but I don’t think I would be where I am now if I hadn’t been through the things that I have.”

Tina was about to respond when Quinn suddenly started to [sing into the phone](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5f7EJTXkJBY).

 _I recommend getting your heart trampled on to anyone, yeah_   
_I recommend walking around naked in your living room_

Tina giggled. “Oh my god Quinn, I can’t believe you’re singing to me over the phone!” But apparently now that Quinn had started she wasn’t about to stop, so Tina gave up and joined her.

_You live you learn_   


Tina got louder now, not about to let Quinn hog the spotlight (even from a hundred miles away).

 _I recommend biting off more then you can chew to anyone_   
_I certainly do_

Quinn came back louder as well.

_I recommend sticking your foot in your mouth at any time_

Tina laughed again and harmonized loudly with her on the next line.

_Feel free!!_

She got a funny look from another student walking past, but she couldn’t have cared less. Both women sang the end of the song with gusto, alternating between trading off lines and singing together. Undoubtedly it looked strange to everyone else, but the two of them were in their own world singing together.

Quinn plopped down on a bench to catch her breath. Then she started to giggle. “Tina, there are like nine people just staring at me right now.”

Tina laughed heartily. “Yeah, same here. Apparently it’s not normal to burst into song in the middle of campus here. Maybe we should have gone to NYADA like Rachel, Kurt and Blaine. I bet it’s normal there.”

Quinn almost choked she was laughing so hard. “Can you imagine what it must be like there? Wow, I am so glad I chose Yale.”

“Yeah,” Tina replied nostalgically, “I’m so glad I’m here too. Going to New York with my friends might have been fun, but Brown was definitely the best place for me.”

“Oh, I’m getting a call from Santana, I’d better let you go, honey. Call me tomorrow?” Quinn asked.

“Definitely, I’ll talk to you then!”

\-----------------------------------

New York City

\-----------------------------------

Artie wheeled out of his last class and toward the elevator with a lot on his mind. Professor Finch had just announced that they were going to spend the entire year working on a very big and very important film project. Since Artie’s program only took two years, this was his graduation project and it had to be good. Actually it had to be better than good: it had to be amazing.

He exited the elevator on the ground floor, and bumped over the doorway and out onto the sidewalk. Getting the camera rolling always helped him get his mental wheels rolling as well. He held up his camera and pressed the record button with no particular subject in mind. He began speaking, creating a voiceover narration for this moment.

“New York City. The city of inspiration. It should be, anyway. I have to make my first feature film as my graduation project. The film could make or break my grade, not to mention my education and career. No pressure though, they say.” He paused for a while, watching the people stream past him on the sidewalk like salmon swimming upstream. Everyone hurried along, wrapped up in their own thoughts and worries. Almost no one even gave him a glance, and no one seemed to care about the blinking red light on his camera that showed that it was currently filming them all. Maybe that was because he was still on the campus of a film school, but maybe it was just because this was New York City.

Artie had the beginnings of an idea about what he could do for this project, but he would need some help to make it work.

“The thing about a career in show business is that it’s only partly about talent. It’s also about connections. If only there was some way to get some real connections in the film world. Like, someone who used to be on Broadway and now has her own television show.”

Artie pulled his wheelchair to a complete stop and put the camera on his lap with the record light still blinking. He pulled out his phone and tapped in Rachel Berry's phone number. He put the phone to his ear and anxiously waited for Rachel to answer.

\-----------------------------------

On the set of “Star,” Los Angeles

\-----------------------------------

Rachel answered her phone, a little too eagerly, on the second ring.

“Hello?” Rachel answered casually.

“Is this Rachel Berry? That girl I went to high school with? The one I saw on a Broadway show? The one that is now a television star and could put in a good word for her bestie, Artie Abrams?” Rachel gave a gentle laugh.

“Hello, Artie. And I thought you were calling to see how I was faring here in LA,” Rachel answered.

“How are you doing?” Artie asked. Rachel sighed.

“Artie, it is such a zoo sometimes. First, I must go through very extensive make-up work. I had to re-arrange my morning routine to fit my make-up artists into my schedule. If that wasn't so hard for them, then I have to go and rehearse lines with my other cast mates. Artie, they would be so lost without my guidance and determination. It's why this show is a success.”

Artie rolled his eyes while Rachel babbled, a motion he did quite often when he spoke to her on the phone. He looked to see a pretzel stand wheel by him. The aroma reached his nose, steering his attention away from the conversation.

“Artie? Are you listening?”

“Yes. Absolutely. I have to make a feature film for my final project. So maybe you could..."

He was cut off by a loud voice yelling, apparently at Rachel.  

“I have to go. Text you later!” Rachel said briskly as she ended the call. She tucked the phone into her pocket and walked into a large building which was filled with people walking or running about with wires and cameras. Rachel let out a long sigh.

“Berry, do you know what on time means?” A tall man with a scruffy beard and a tanned buttoned shirt asked. Rachel cleared her throat and straightened her posture.

“I _am_ on time, Simon. I am _always_ on time,” Rachel answered primly.

“You are five minutes late,” her director snapped back. “You kept production on hold again and we still need to go over the new scene. Get over to your chair! You have two minutes to review your lines!” Rachel hurried over to her chair and picked up the script.

Truth be told, Simon intimidated her. He was very in-demand as a director and she had been lucky to get him, but he had a snarky comment or a critical remark to make about her every time he saw her. Her castmates didn't like her much either. She expected some hostility, of course, but they just didn't like her. Every time she made a comment about a scene, she would hear a round of groans. When that happened, it meant that production time would be longer. She always tried to brush it off. It was her show after all. She was the star and she was the one who would make it a success.

“Rachel? We need to do this scene, yesterday!” Simon bellowed. Rachel let out another sigh and put her script back on the chair.

“And let's try to get through one take without any fuss!” Rachel pursed her lips together. Her make-up artists fixed up her face while someone did something with her hair.

“I hope you took my suggestion and used my specific brand,” Rachel stated. She received no response.

“Let's do this now!”

Rachel looked at the camera and waited for someone to call “action,” but no one did.

“What is that? Why is that set there? That’s not what we have for this scene!” Simon was yelling now. Rachel turned and then remembered.

“I thought perhaps we could start with this scene first. That way, it’s a lot easier to follow chronologically, and we still have to discuss the song that I suggested,” Rachel answered. There was a round of groans and sighs.

“Now we have to rearrange the set and we will be behind schedule, again! Do your job for once and I’ll do mine. Get out of here!” Simon was so upset that spit was flying out of his mouth with the words.

Rachel let out a huff. “Need I remind you that I am the star!”

“I will deal with you later. Out!” The sheer volume of Simon’s decree made Rachel jump a little. She steadied herself quickly before she stormed away. Rachel stood behind one of the large props. She leaned her head back and closed her eyes. There was so much noise. Shouts and rants about her no doubt, changing the scene and then putting them behind schedule, again.

Rachel tried to tune the noise out, making it slowly fade into the background with her concentration. Just like when she felt like this at McKinley, the noise around her disappeared and music began to play just for her.

Rachel leaned her head forward. Her hands clasped together as she walked slowly through the room. Without a care about who heard her, she opened her mouth and started to softly [sing](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjAyvTxVops).

_ Whispering  
Hear the ghosts in the moonlight _

Rachel walked through the crowded room. Occasionally, she bumped into a person without so much as an apology or acknowledgement. She pushed her hair behind her ear, letting a small tear cascade down her cheek. Los Angeles was not what she had imagined, not what she dreamed of when she came to film her own television show. She walked out of the building and made her way to her trailer.

_ Little miss didn’t do right  
Went and ruined all the true plans _

Rachel opened the door to her trailer and walked inside, closing the door behind her. Her trailer wasn’t by any means glamorous, but it was fit for her, for now. There was a single cushion couch for her to sit, a small kitchen and a tiny bedroom. She dropped onto her couch, wiping away the next tear that fell down her face.

_Listening for the hope, for the new life_   
_Something beautiful, a new chance_   


Rachel leaned her head onto the back of the couch and sighed.

_BANG!_

Santana burst through the trailer door without knocking, as usual.

“Santana,” Rachel started, hurriedly swiping at her eye and trying to hide the fact that she’d been crying. “Now is really not a good ti--”

“Every time is a good time for your public relations person, i.e. me, to give you a wake up call about your public image,” Santana spat back at her. “Do you recall how hard I worked to make over your tarnished image after the Funny Girl fiasco? No way in hell am I starting over again.”

“How hard _you_ worked?!” Rachel retorted.

“Yes, how hard _I_ worked, Rachel.” Santana set her bag down in a huff and planted herself on the couch next to the other woman. “Mostly you show up to things and look pretty and smile. I am the one working my ass off to get you seen by all the right people, who will take the right pictures and write the right articles to make sure that the right people keep loving you. And it’s working because here you are with your dream job which my work helped you to get. And what are you doing? You are sitting around complaining about it and making enemies almost faster than I can make you friends. And I’m putting my foot down.”

Rachel’s eyes had been growing larger the longer Santana talked, and somewhere toward the end of the diatribe her mouth fell open as well. “Excuse me?!” She began, but Santana interrupted her again by pulling out her phone and holding it out in Rachel’s face. A smiling photo of Quinn graced the screen.

“You see this woman?” Santana questioned.

“Yes.”

“Remind me what she’s doing right now?”

“Quinn is at Yale, working hard probably…”

“Living her dream Rachel. She’s living her dream.” Santana’s tone had softened a bit. “I was just talking to her this morning. Did you know that she has a 4.0 this semester? She said she wanted to be the top of her class there, and it looks like she is doing it.” Santana paused for a moment. “Sometimes in life moments come along that are just made for you to kick some ass.” She nodded for emphasis. “And in those moments, you know what you’re supposed to do?”

“Kick ass?” Rachel said quietly through a sniffle

“Damn right!” Santana said gleefully. “When those moments come along, we grab them by the balls and kick some ass!!!” She grabbed Rachel’s hands and pulled her to her feet. “So wipe your face up--or I’ll wipe it for you so you don’t ruin your make-up--” Santana grabbed a tissue from the box on the counter and carefully dabbed at the corners of Rachel’s eyes as she continued more gently. “This is your moment, Rachel, go kick ass!” Then she grabbed her friend by the shoulders, turned her around, and pushed her out the trailer door.

Santana stood on the step of the trailer and brushed her hands together with a satisfied look on her face. “Crisis averted,” she said with a grin. “Auntie Snix is very good at what she does.” Then she turned on her heel and headed for the parking lot, [singing](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mqWeBu2zik) to herself as she walked.

_ I have always been a woman who arranges things,  
for the pleasure--and the profit--it derives. _

Santana slipped into her car and sped down the avenue. Five months ago in New York she had started doing PR for Rachel; then she had helped Mercedes with some of the arrangements for her nationwide mall tour, and somewhere along the way she had realized that she had found her calling. She rolled down the window and let the wind blow through her long dark hair as she drove.

_ If you want your ego bolstered, muscles toned, or chair upholstered:  
Just leave everything to me. _

Santana walked through the front doors of Poise Publicity like she owned the place. She didn’t, of course, but she was the fastest-climbing representative they’d ever had. Most of her clients were still small-time celebrities, but there were dozens of them already, and more and more kept requesting her services. Santana laughed as she settled into the desk chair in her personal office.

_ Life is full of secrets, and I keep 'em! _

Yes, Santana Lopez was very very good at what she did, as long as people sat down and shut up and let her work her magic.

_ Just leave everything to me! _

Santana kicked off her heels under the desk (they looked fabulous but they did hurt like hell). She opened her email and with the soft clacking of long nails on the keyboard she started saving someone else’s public image.

There was a soft tap on her door.

“Yeah?” Santana called, glad that the desk front hid her bare feet in case it was a client.

A young receptionist peeked around the door. “Um, hi, Ms Lopez, there were some messages while you were out.” She held up a few small papers to illustrate her point.

“Give them here,” Santana said distractedly, holding out her hand. The girl handed over the papers with a nervous smile and slipped back out of the room.

Santana smiled as she looked through the notes, thinking of five months ago when she had first come to LA with Rachel. The receptionist had been nervous around her then too. It was only her second day in the city when she had pushed open the double glass doors of Poise Publicity and strutted into the foyer.

_“Hello ma’am, can I help you?” the young women behind the counter asked._

_“I’m Santana Lopez, I’m here to see whoever is in charge.”_

_“Do you have an appointment?” the woman asked, looking over her computer screen to check the calendar there._

_“No, I don’t make appointments. People see me when I show up.”_

_“Well ma’am, I can assure you that every public relations representative here at Poise can represent you well, not just--”_

_Santana cut her off. “I’m not here to be represented. I’m here to represent.” She shifted her large purse to her other arm and held out her hand to shake. “I’m Santana Lopez, and I’m going to be working here now.”_

The receptionist had just nodded, and the next day Santana had signed a contract with them. No one, not even Santana, was a hundred percent sure how she’d done it, but she’d gotten a job based on the sheer force of her personality.

In high school Santana had known she wanted to be famous. She hadn’t been sure what she would do or how she would do it, but she had known the important thing. In her first two years she had tried Broadway and dabbled with recording an album, but it was PR that had clicked. And now here she was. She may not be famous to everyone, but in certain circles--important circles--her name was becoming known. And everyone who knew her name wanted her services.

\-----------------------------------

Hummel Tires & Lube, Lima, Ohio

\-----------------------------------

“Hey Burt,” Sam called as he walked into the garage. “What can I help with today?”

Burt emerged from behind an SUV, wiping grease on streaked rag he had pulled from the pocket of his coveralls.

“Hey Sam, if you wanna suit up, that one there just needs an oil change.” He jerked his thumb toward a car in the next bay over.

Sam was already zipping up his coveralls, and he nodded and went to get the pans to start the oil change.

“How was your day?” Burt asked conversationally as he went back to working on the SUV.

“It was really great actually!” Sam grinned. You know how New Directions got disbanded after we lost at Nationals, so they didn’t have any glee club last year?”

A vague “umm-hmmm” noise came from behind the raised hood, so Sam continued.

“Well, you know how last weekend we all went up to Columbus to see Mercedes’ concert? Which was awesome by the way. And then afterward everyone was talking about missing glee club and everything, and we realized that we don’t have to have a glee club to still be able to sing and perform.” Sam was gesturing excitedly now, and stepped away from the car so that he could actually see Burt as he continued.

“I mean New Directions performed at weddings and proms and stuff, and I sang at a Bat Mitzva once.” Burt glanced at him sideways and raised an eyebrow but didn’t say anything.

“Anyway, we, they, the former New Directions I mean, decided to form a new group independently. And they’re called The Vibratos and will perform in local venues! And I’m going to help them get on youtube and stuff so that more people can see them and hire them to perform.”

Burt looked up and saw that Sam still hadn’t started changing the oil on the other car. He wasn’t surprised. It wasn’t the first time he’d had a young man in his garage who was too distracted to do much work.

“So you kids are pretty excited about this then, huh?” Burt asked, even though he knew the answer.

“Yeah!” Sam’s smile filled his whole face.

“Have you booked any gigs yet?” Burt asked as an idea came into his head.

“No, not yet…”

“I have a campaign fundraiser over at the VFW at the end of next week. We hadn’t planned for live music, but it might help bring in some younger supporters. Whaddya think?” Burt tried to keep a serious face but he couldn’t help smiling a little.

“Oh god, yes, there would be, like, a ton of people there. That would be awesome!” Sam beamed.

“Go on then,” Burt urged, swinging the rag out with a teasing snap at Sam’s leg as he danced out of the way. “Go talk to your friends, see what they think, then come let me know.”

“This is huge Mr Hummel. It’s like amazing! Thank you so much for offering this for us. I mean them…”

“Hey, Sam, in the last few years you’ve become one of my boys too, ya know? And especially since I don’t get to see Kurt and Blaine that often, and Finn isn’t…” Burt’s voice cracked and Sam wrapped his long arms around the man who had become a second father to him and squeezed. Burt cleared his throat. “Uh, anyway, I’m happy to have you here, kid.”

“I’m happy to be here,” Sam answered earnestly. “How are Kurt and Blaine doing anyway?” he asked, trying to change the subject away from Finn, because even though over a year had passed, it was still a hard thing for him to talk about.

“Oh, they’re good,” Burt assured him. “They call every Friday night since we don’t have Friday night family dinners anymore. They’re busy with school and stuff.” He adjusted the NYADA hat he was wearing, the brim bent and softened with a year and a half of continual wearing. “It makes me tired just hearing about all the stuff they do.” Sam smiled and nodded. He understood that.

“I miss Kurt so much,” Burt admitted, blinking rapidly as though determined to not let a tear escape from his watery eyes. “But I am so proud of him, and I would never ask him to leave New York just because his old man misses him.”

Sam hugged him again. It seemed like the obvious thing to do.

\-----------------------------------

Kurt and Blaine’s apartment, New York City

\-----------------------------------

Kurt was folding the laundry while Blaine was in the kitchen, tying a twist knot around a trash bag. He slid the door open to take the bag out. Kurt had declared that the loft was dirty and needed a good cleaning. The door was wide open while Kurt neatly put Blaine’s shirts on one side of the bed then started on his own. Kurt pondered for a moment before he pulled out his phone and tapped the screen a few times. [Music](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fd_O-WHnQVc) played through the small speaker. Kurt smiled as he put the phone on the bed and started to sing with the music, not caring that the door was still wide open.

__ Imagine me and you, I do  
I think about you day and night  
It’s only right to think about the boy you love

Kurt reached over and started folding pants.

_ Imagine how the world could be so very fine  
So happy together _

Blaine smiled as he came back into the apartment. He decided to leave the door open so he wouldn’t startle Kurt or interrupt his singing. How would he be able to join in if Kurt stopped singing? Blaine just couldn’t miss the opportunity to sing with his fiancé.

 _I can’t see me loving nobody but you_   
_For all my life_

Kurt turned around and smiled when he saw Blaine walk back into the apartment and sing the next part as loudly and proudly as he could. Kurt put a folded shirt on the bed and headed to the kitchen. The dishes had to be washed and dried.   
  
_When you’re near me baby the skies will be blue_  
 _For all my life_

Blaine picked up the towel while Kurt started washing the plates that were soaking in the sink. The music played, and they continued to sing.

_ It has to be the only for me is you, and you for me _

Blaine put the dried dishes on the counter. Kurt turned to wipe down the counter and the kitchen table. They were almost done cleaning and singing. Blaine put the last dry dish on the small stack and followed Kurt over to the couch. The trash was taken out, the clothes were folded, and the dishes were washed and dried.

_ We're happy together  
So happy together! _

Both men plopped down on the couch as the music faded. Blaine put his feet up on the coffee table while Kurt threw his legs over Blaine’s.

“I like this,” Kurt said after a few moments of silence. Blaine turned his head toward Kurt.

“What?” he asked.

“This,” Kurt said, gesturing his hands back and forth from him to Blaine. “I know things with One Three Hill and June have been hectic and took up a lot of our time, but now that the whole thing with June is over and One Three Hill is sort of on hiatus, it’s nice to just be with you. You know, acting like a newly soon to be married couple.”

Blaine smiled as he started rubbing on Kurt’s legs. “Well, we still have Monday potlucks,” he reminded Kurt.

“I know, and I like that Mike comes now, but it’s just us, Mike and Artie, and it’s only once a week. Most of the time I get you to myself!”

“I like it too. As fun as it was with June, I’m glad it’s over. NYADA is tough, but I expected that. NYADA was definitely difficult freshman year,” Blaine answered.

“Who are you telling? I started mid-year. I had to take extra summer courses to catch up. On top of that, working very part time at Vogue dot com and the diner,” Kurt said, fanning himself and feigning exhaustion. Blaine just laughed.

“My poor fiancé. You are just so tired. It was a challenge, balancing finding a job and still going to NYADA,” Blaine added. Kurt gave a playful kick.

“There is still an opening at the diner…” Kurt said.

“I know. I don’t hate working at the bookstore,” Blaine said, though it did sound a little unconvincing. Since Rachel and Santana left, the diner always had an extra opening. Kurt kept bringing it up to Blaine, but Blaine always said no.

“All right, I won’t mention it again,” Kurt said, swinging his feet off of Blaine.

“You mean you won’t mention it again today?” Blaine asked. Kurt turned to Blaine with a knowing looking on his face.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Kurt responded. He held his hands out to Blaine. “Come on, we are not done yet. You need to help fold the rest of the laundry and we have to tackle that bathroom.” Blaine huffed as he took Kurt’s offering hands, letting him pull him off the couch.

“I already cleaned the bathroom,” Blaine said.

“When?” Kurt challenged.

“Wednesday at exactly ten-thirty in the morning,” Blaine said with a firm, somewhat playful voice. Kurt turned to his fiancé.

“And what month was it?” Blaine had a baffled look.

“Umm…” Kurt rolled his eyes and directed Blaine toward the bathroom.

“That’s what I thought. Come on, the bathroom won’t hurt you if you try to clean it,” Kurt said with a mock condescending tone, guiding Blaine to the bathroom, which was greeted with a groan.

\-----------------------------------

A large hall, Lima, Ohio

\-----------------------------------

Sam stood at the microphone at one end of the room, nervously adjusting his tie. He shouldn’t be nervous about these kinds of things anymore--he wasn’t even performing this time! But he couldn’t help it. He had the tripod set up a few yards away and had already started the recording so that he could post this performance on YouTube to help with marketing. All that was left to do was actually introduce the group.

“Ladies and gentlemen, if I can have your attention, tonight we are proud to announce the debut performance of The Vibratos! With experience singing at proms, weddings, and bat mitzvahs, we are available for all your local performance needs!” With a grand gesture, Sam slid to the side and let his friends take the spotlight.

Jake and Ryder stood back to back in the center of the stage with their arms folded across their chests. As the [music](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ZYgIrqELFw) began, Jake stepped forward with exaggerated arm movements and began to sing.

_ Somebody once told me the world is gonna roll me  
I ain't the sharpest tool in the shed _

Ryder moved forward as Jake moved back, taking his turn on lead vocals.

_ Well, the years start coming and they don't stop coming   
Fed to the rules and I hit the ground running _

The boys were grinning, and bouncing back and forth across the stage with so much energy.  Sam wondered if he had looked like that when he performed.

Jake and Ryder were side by side, taking turns belting out the lines as the other group members came in with backup. The whole group was on stage now. Marley, Unique, and Sugar strutting across the stage with the choreography as Kitty did gymnastic stunts in front while the boys sang.

_ You'll never know if you don't go  
You'll never shine if you don't glow _

The crowd was clearly enjoying the show. Some were clapping along with the beat and there were proud smiles from parents and community members alike. If there’s one thing that makes a small town proud, it’s seeing their kids be successful at something. Burt sat next to Carole, holding her hand as he nodded his head awkwardly with the song he didn’t know but was happy to hear anyway. Carole smiled back at him. So many things in her life had not gone the way she had dreamed or hoped, but so many things in her life were good right now too. Sometimes the surprises you get are even better than the things you plan.

 __Hey, now, you're an All Star get your game on, go play  
Hey, now, you're a Rock Star get the show on get paid  
And all that glitters is gold  
Only shooting stars break the mold!

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________  
Thank you for reading Glee Season Fix!  
Help us out by spreading the word and reblogging this on your tumblr? [ Click here ](http://gleeseasonfix.tumblr.com/post/107153161426/sunday-january-4th-6pm-est-we-proudly-present)

[ Episode Stills ](http://gleeseasonfix.tumblr.com/post/106930047421/episode-stills-for-glee-season-fix-new-new)  
Songs in this episode:  
Mercedes: Leave a Light On cover by Amber Riley  
Tina and Quinn: You Learn by Alanis Morissette  
Rachel: Whispering (from Spring Awakening) by Lea Michele  
Santana: Just Leave Everything to Me (from Hello Dolly) by Barbra Streisand  
Kurt and Blaine: Happy Together by The Turtles  
The Vibratos: All Star by Smashmouth


	2. Red X

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Flourishing in college at Yale, Quinn is having the time of her life. Her long distance relationship with Puck is a whole other story. A phone call from her overly-ambitious friend leaves her immersed in thoughts of her dating history. Rachel also finds herself with similar reminders of the past… The term interesting dating history could also be applied to Tina Cohan-Chang. What is happening between her and Mike since they broke up? Are they really “only” good friends, as they claim? Meanwhile in Lima, whilst busy helping out at Hummel’s Tire & Lube and working on establishing The Vibratos, Sam still has something else -or rather someone else- on his mind that keeps him occupied... Ryder and Unique are getting really comfortable in each other’s presence, Santana on the other hand is getting increasingly nervous about the changes in her L.A. living situation... Finally, ever since Blaine popped the big question to Kurt, everyone else is wondering when and where they will both give the answer to their forever together. But before that, there’s something else Kurt wants Blaine to know...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Episode 2 was written by [ gingerfic ](http://archiveofourown.org/users/gingerfic/pseuds/gingerfic) and [ Soofreakincharmy ](http://soofreakincharmy.tumblr.com)  
> Beta by [ HKvoyage ](http://hkvoyage.tumblr.com) and [ alwaysfallingforanidea ](http://alwaysfallingforanidea.tumblr.com/)  
> Special thanks to [ awkwardanne4 ](http://awkwardanne4.tumblr.com/) and [ sheila4783 ](http://sheila4783.tumblr.com/)  
> Also available in: [ Italian (Nightbirdmate) ](http://nightbirdmate.tumblr.com/post/108249686056/glee-season-fix-capitolo-due-red-x)  
> Disclaimer: This is a work of fanfiction. All the characters and backstories belong to Glee and its creators.
> 
> Glee Season Fix (“GSF”) was written independently of spoilers about Glee Season 6. If songs or plots overlap, it’s due to coincidence or nature of the storylines that need resolution. In this episode we mentioned Mrs. Anderson by name. Since her name has been officially released, we figured we should stick with it. 
> 
> Like on the show, GSF also includes songs and performances. There are links to full versions of each song. We hope you will enjoy listening at the same time as reading what's happening. In this episode we especially encourage you to check out the video for Sam’s song, because it was the inspiration for his scene.
> 
> Content warning: several mentions of Finn

_So here's what you missed on Glee:_

_A long time ago, like in season one, Quinn and Puck had a kid. Then they hated each other, then they liked each other, then they finally decided to date. But he's in the Air Force and lives in Texas, and she's going to Yale and doing really well but that's in Connecticut which is pretty far away from Texas._

_Sam and Mercedes dated and then they broke up, and then they dated again and broke up again, and then last year in New York they dated again and Sam said this time was forever, but then they broke up again so Mercedes could go on her mall tour and Sam was totally bummed about it. And maybe Mercedes was too but then why did she do it?_

_Kurt and Blaine had this huge amazing engagement like a really long time ago but since then they have just been living in the loft and going to NYADA and nobody has really talked about the wedding in ages. What's with that?_

_Santana and Brittany have been BFFs since basically the beginning of time. They were going to visit Lesbos but then it turned out that it’s full of German tourists instead of hot lesbians, so they decided to cut the trip short and go to Hawaii instead._

_Back in season four Ryder met this girl Katie online, and he totally liked her, but then it turned out she was actually Unique. Ryder got mad and said he would quit glee club over it, but for some reason he never did. Last we saw, the two of them seemed like maybe they were even becoming friends._

_And that’s what you missed..._

 

\-----------------------------------

Quinn’s room, Yale, New Haven, Connecticut

\-----------------------------------

“Puck, I really need to go,” Quinn said for the third time in as many minutes. She didn’t really want to spend the next six hours on homework, but it was what she knew she needed to do.

“No you don’t.”

“Puck!” Quinn knew she couldn’t afford to get behind in her coursework or she’d never be able to catch up. Of course it was wonderful to catch up with her boyfriend (she wouldn’t admit it to anyone but the word still brought a smile to her face and made her giggle), but responsibilities came first and this was one of those moments when she was thankful for the long distance relationship. It may be hard to juggle but god knows she needed her space, and she hadn’t been kidding when she’d told Tina that having Puck nearby would be a distraction.

“Ok bye,” he singsonged into her ear, making her regret making him watch Frozen with her last year.

“I love you too,” and with that she ended the call, letting out a small sigh as she did so. She talked with him almost every day, but it was often hard to talk for very long. Quinn had a busy Ivy League course load, and Puck had a strict Air Force schedule, but they were both making the effort to maintain this relationship.

Quinn hadn’t lied. She did have to do homework. Still, the desire to procrastinate for just a few more minutes was stronger than the guilt or stress she knew would come later. As she lazily sat in front of her desk, her phone started ringing again. As much as she loved Puck and talking to him, she needed a little of her own time so she let it ring until it stopped. When it started ringing again Quinn picked it up without looking at the screen, huffing in annoyance.

“Puck, I really need to work,” she said without much force behind it. After all, she hadn’t actually started working, and she knew she wasn’t going to for a while yet.

“Nope, I still don’t have a mohawk, but I do know you love me!”

“Oh, Rachel!” she exclaimed with fake enthusiasm. Work may or may not have been an excuse for her to be alone for a while, but when Rachel called she usually wanted to talk for ages, and she would always go on and on about how her life was so perfect. Quinn wasn’t really in the mood, and she didn’t have time for it today. Of course Rachel didn’t say those things outright, but the constant focus on herself and her _amazing_ life could be tiring. Exhausting, actually. Quinn liked Rachel, but it just didn’t feel like she’d ever had to work like Quinn always had. She opted for small talk. "I only have a few minutes and then I have to get back to work, but how is LA?”

"Oh you know, warm and stuffy, a bit tiring really,” Rachel sighed. Quinn realized that maybe not everything in Rachel’s life was as idyllic as it seemed, but honestly, at that moment, she didn't really care. Maybe it was about time that Rachel had a turn to struggle.

"You weren't expecting that living the dream would be easy, were you?" Of course she would, this was Rachel, who had always had the world handed to her on a silver platter. Most of the difficulties she’d ever faced had been things she’d brought upon herself. Except for the whole Finn thing, Quinn realized with a start.

Finn's death had affected all of them, of course, but Rachel was one of the people who was affected the most. Quinn couldn't remember ever having such a deep bond with anyone as Rachel had with Finn. Not with him, not with Sam, not with the pompous jerks she dated at Yale, not even with Puck, even though those relationships had been the center of her world when she was in them.

“...I just wanted to add a little bit of Barbra to the scene, you know? She’s a genius, I don’t know why Simon objected so much. The man has no vision.”

There was a pause in Rachel’s monolog and Quinn realized that Rachel was waiting for her to say something. She had gone right on babbling, blissfully unaware that Quinn had been lost in her own thoughts. "I’m sorry Rachel, that sounds frustrating. But I really have to go."

“Alright, bye!” Rachel chirped.

Quinn settled back into her chair to process the epiphany she’d just had. A realization about herself, as well as about everyone she’d ever dated.

Finn had been a far from perfect boyfriend, just as she had been a far from perfect girlfriend, but she had to admit that he had tried really hard. Maybe that dedication was what had made him so good for Rachel--they had both been in it for each other. Quinn hadn’t ever been in a relationship like that. She began to [sing](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zlot0i3Zykw) to herself as she flipped through a stack of photos that she’d had stuffed into a desk drawer.

_ Loving him was like driving a new Maserati down a dead-end street  
Faster than the wind, passionate as sin, ending so suddenly _

There were a lot of pictures of Quinn with her friends, and nearly as many of her with her boyfriends. She’d had a few interesting relationships, that’s for sure. She remembered how hard it had been every time she’d had a break up. Every single time. It didn’t even matter who it was.

_ Losing him was blue like I'd never known  
Missing him was dark grey all alone _

But she always jumped right into another relationship because it was always new, always exciting, and Quinn loved feeling loved. For much of her life she’d been afraid to be alone. God, even she had to admit that her dating history was a little complicated: Finn, Puck, Finn again, Puck again, Sam, Finn again, Puck again, then in college her professor and then Biff… even one night with Santana!

_ Remembering him comes in flashbacks and echoes  
Tell myself it's time now, gotta let go _

Maybe she shouldn’t be surprised that she’d come back to Puck. She had been with people for lots of different reasons: for status, for comfort, even for revenge. But Puck was the only one who had seen through her reasons and called her out on them.

_ Forgetting him was like trying to know somebody you never met  
'Cause loving him was red _

Something had always been different about Puck. When he was the bad boy in high school she’d known that he wouldn’t judge her. When he had saved her from the charade she’d built with Biff she knew she could trust him. She supposed that was why she had wanted to try this whole thing with him now, even though it was hard: even with his flaws, Puck felt safe.

_ And that's why he's spinnin' 'round in my head  
Comes back to me, burning red _

Quinn loved Puck, she really did, and she was grateful to be in a relationship for once where she didn’t have to pretend about anything, and could just be herself. At the same time, she was realizing that she needed more space in a relationship than even Puck was able to give her. This relationship was exciting right now, but she didn’t want to think too far ahead.

Her phone buzzed again. Without even looking at it Quinn pressed the 'ignore' button and picked up her book.

\-----------------------------------

Los Angeles

\-----------------------------------

Rachel’s conversation with Quinn left her feeling light. It felt good to talk to someone who understood how hard she worked and how determined she was to overcome the hardships in her life. It had been rough having gay parents in an unaccepting Midwestern town, being an uncool glee club geek in high school, and choking on her first NYADA audition. But she had worked hard in New York and with _Funny Girl_ and her own TV show, everything was coming up Rachel!

“Berry! We’ve been looking for you for the past fifteen minutes, where have you been?” one of her make up artists approached her as she was leaving her trailer.

“What do you want, Susan?” Rachel asked in a syrupy tone. She didn’t remember everybody’s name on set, but this particular girl had scoffed when Rachel had started teaching her how to do her job (seriously, these people knew nothing!) and for that Rachel had memorized who she was.

“In case you didn’t remember I had a twenty minute break," Rachel reminded her. It was frustrating for Rachel that no matter how hard she worked, the people around her didn't seem to appreciate it. She wasn't new to performing, or to personality clashes, but sometimes she felt like she was being judged for every little thing she did around here. Did they even remember that this show was about her?

Susan ran her hands through her short hair in frustration. “You had a break from _filming,_ Berry, a break that was supposed to be used for a costume change and makeup touch-up, and--” she interrupted herself “What have you done to your hair? It looks like straw.”

Straw?

Straw?!

Rachel had been using this brand of hair spray since high school. It was her favorite, and it had the Kurt Hummel stamp of approval. It wasn’t her fault that their products left her needing to do her own touch-ups between scenes. She wasn’t going to switch products on the advice of someone who obviously knew so little about this. 

"Now we have to rush everything,” Susan continued as she pushed Rachel back into her trailer. “I’ll have to help you change or you won't be done in time." She made a face like she had eaten something that had gone bad.

Without any finesse or care Susan unzipped Rachel’s dress and helped her out of it. As she pulled the fabric up over Rachel's head it revealed the small tattoo: _Finn._ Susan’s eyes lingered there for a moment, reading it before she slipped the dress onto a hanger and grabbed the new costume. She huffed, and continued dressing Rachel as if she were an infant. “You have two minutes to be in makeup," she snapped, then she turned on her heel and left.

Rachel grabbed the edge of the sink as a wave of dizziness came over her. She'd had the tattoo for more than a year and most of the time now she hardly noticed it. She had never showed it to anyone. Not Kurt, her best friend who had been with her the night she got it, and not Santana with whom she had been living for the past few months. She wasn’t expecting a bitchy make up artist to be the first one to glimpse her little secret. She also wasn't expecting the way that it made her feel.

Of course she remembered Finn often, but there were not too many hard days anymore. It had been long enough for the pain to ease. Most days were fine. But then there were occasional moments like this that completely blindsided her with grief.

She stared at herself in the mirror, knowing she really only had a minute. She carefully smoothed the new dress over her hips. Without really thinking about it, she began humming bits of a [song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xr3OmKy2ZFc&) to herself, and even singing a few lines.

_ Loving can hurt, loving can hurt sometimes  
But it's the only thing that I know _

Dating and relationships were really not on her mind in any kind of serious way. Rachel Berry had a career to think about, and she loved it. Even Finn--dear, sweet Finn--had known that her professional dreams were bigger than any relationship.

_ We keep this love in a photograph  
We made these memories for ourselves _

Finn had loved her enough to push her toward her dreams, even when it hurt. She didn’t know if she would ever find someone else who could support her that way; who could understand her that way. Rachel knew that if Finn were alive they would have eventually made their way back toward each other.

_ Loving can heal, loving can mend your soul _

She brushed her fingers along her ribcage at the place where she had Finn’s name inked into her skin. He was a part of her past now. A beautiful part. An unforgettable part. But a past part. Rachel was living in the present, and even though she missed him in moments like this, overall she was happy and fulfilled with her life as it was. In moments like this she didn’t need a boyfriend, she had a career!

_ And I won’t ever let you go _

“Someday...” she whispered to herself, “someday I’ll have time for someone again. But for now, I’m fine.”

And she was.

 

\-----------------------------------

The Loft, New York City

\-----------------------------------

Kurt bounced on his heels, re-adjusting his collar and smoothing his shirt for the fourteenth time in the last few minutes. Blaine would be home soon, and they had planned a “we-survived-midterms” celebratory dinner tonight. What Blaine didn’t know was that Kurt had thought up the midterms celebration as an excuse to cover for something else he was planning.

Kurt had taken the day off from the diner, and had spent the entire afternoon cooking. Now the table was carefully set and the final dish was just sitting in the oven staying warm until Blaine arrived. There were candles on the table on either side of a small vase with a dozen red and yellow roses, soft music played, and everything was in place for a calm, romantic evening together. Kurt took a deep breath and tried to slow the rapid thudding of his heart. It didn’t matter how long he was with Blaine, he still always had a physical reaction to him.

“Honey, I’m ho--” Blaine’s voice cut off as he saw the scene before him.

“Hi,” Kurt said softly.

“I thought we were going to cook together?” Blaine asked as he shut the door behind himself and hung his jacket on the hook next to it.

“I wanted to surprise you,” Kurt pulled the warm dish out of the oven, set it on the table, and then stepped toward his fiancé with outstretched arms and Blaine met him with a warm embrace.

“Well, it smells amazing, and I’m starved,” Blaine declared. “Shall we?” He pulled out a chair and gestured for Kurt to sit in it.

Dinner was almost awkward. Kurt was anxious about what he was planning for the evening, and Blaine knew him well enough to tell that something was on Kurt’s mind, but he also knew that Kurt liked to do things in his own time, so he didn’t say anything. He knew he’d find out sooner or later, so he tried to let the quiet strains of Ed Sheeran singing in the background keep him calm while he waited for Kurt to say something. But Kurt didn’t.

“What’s going on, Kurt?” Blaine finally asked with both concern and amusement in his voice. He suspected that Kurt might work himself into an actual panic attack if he waited much longer, but he _still_ thought Kurt was adorable when he was nervous. Blaine wiped his mouth with his napkin and set it down on his empty plate. “C’mon, just talk to me.”

Kurt cleared his throat and pushed back his chair. “There’s something I want to tell you.” He carefully circled the table, stopping for a moment at the counter to press a button on the iPod, then he stood in front of his fiancé. “Just listen, please, ok?” Blaine nodded, pushing his own chair back from the table and adjusting it to face Kurt.

Kurt’s [voice started softly](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kFfKb_WEkCE).

__ Settle down with me  
Cover me up  
Cuddle me in

Kurt stood still as he sang. Blaine had always been one for big dance numbers, but Kurt’s style was different. He preferred to just stand in one place and let his emotions come through the words and music. It had happened when he sang "Blackbird" in the Dalton common room, and every time Blaine had heard him sing since. Kurt was amazing that way.

_ Kiss me like you wanna be loved _

The lyrics made Blaine think back to the first time they had kissed. He remembered how nervous he had felt, and yet how sure he had been about taking that step.

_ I was made to keep your body warm  
But I'm cold as the wind blows so hold me in your arms _

Blaine had felt similarly at other firsts in their relationship, like the night they'd made love for the first time. They had held one another for what felt like hours, anxious and awkward yet so very comfortable with each other that it gave them both the confidence to go forward anyway.

_ I'm falling for your eyes, but they don't know me yet  
And with this feeling I'll forget, I'm in love now _

Kurt's bright clear eyes were staring right into Blaine's darker ones, saying so much more than the song lyrics could. In that moment Blaine wanted nothing more than to hold and kiss the man before him.

_ So kiss me like you wanna be loved _

Blaine moved to stand, not wanting to wait any longer, but Kurt held up a finger and furrowed his brow, so Blaine settled back into his chair.

“Kurt,” Blaine began, but he was cut off.

“Wait, I’m not done yet.”

“Oh,” Blaine sat back again.

Kurt took a deep breath, and cleared his throat. “Blaine Anderson, I fell in love with you almost as soon as I met you. And even though it took a while for us to get onto the same page about that, I think we’ve always been each other’s missing puzzle pieces.”

Blaine couldn’t help but smile as he remembered singing that line to Kurt on the day they met.

“I have been scared of a lot of things in my life, but over and over you have been the one who was there, telling me to have courage, and helping me to find it in myself. I am so in love with you, and I cannot imagine my life without you. I keep trying to make things complicated, but this isn’t complicated, this is just us.”

Kurt dropped to his knee and pulled a little box out of his pocket. Blaine gasped as Kurt opened it to reveal a slender metal band, similar to his own.

“I want you to have a ring from me too,” Kurt explained, “and I want to set a date for the wedding. I know I’ve put you off about it several times because we’re too young or it’s too fast or, well, that’s not the point,” his words were rushing out faster than he could control them now. “I am just tired of waiting, and I’m sorry I’ve made you wait so long for me to get here, but I’m ready, I want to do this.”

“Oh my god, Kurt!” Blaine whispered. He was blinking rapidly and nodding, his arms reaching automatically toward his one true love. Kurt was pretty sure he knew exactly how Blaine felt right now, since he’d had a similar reaction on the Dalton staircase a year and a half ago.

“Let’s set a date, Blaine,” Kurt repeated. “Let’s plan a wedding!”

“Yes, yes, yes,” Blaine murmured, pulling Kurt close, wrapping his arms around the man he loved, and kissing him fiercely. “Yes!”

 

\-----------------------------------

Tina’s room, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island

\-----------------------------------

Tina stared at her laptop, tapping away at keys as she worked on her latest assignment. She smiled when she heard the familiar pinging tone alerting her that someone was calling on video chat. She clicked the green button to answer the call.

“Hi Mike!”

“Hey Tina, how’s it going this week?” They didn’t talk every week, but most Sunday mornings found them in touch with each other. They hadn’t been a couple for more than two years (longer than they'd been together in the first place), but they had never stopped being friends.

“Just homework and more homework, same as always,” Tina smiled. She didn’t really want to talk about homework, but small talk was always where they started before getting into a thousand and one other, deeper topics. They talked about their studies and their friends, living on their own and leaving the sheltered world of Lima. Tina giggled at Mike’s stories about Monday night potluck dinners with the McKinley guys, and Mike chuckled about Tina’s weekends with Quinn. They talked about hopes, dreams, goals, fears, and what it meant to be adults now.

They never talked about the fact that they had once been a couple. Neither one of them brought up that moment backstage at _Grease_ when Mike had told Tina that he’d thought their break-up was premature, and asked her if she’d consider trying a long distance relationship. They definitely did not discuss the fact that neither of them had seriously dated anyone else.

Mike Chang and Tina Cohen-Chang (no relation) were just really good friends.

The minutes ticked by as they chatted, and more than an hour passed easily.

“I have to go,” Mike said reluctantly. “I need to meet with my class partner to work on a routine that’s due this week.”

“That’s fine,” Tina’s smile was genuine. “I have a huge pile of reading to finish before tomorrow, so I should get off the computer anyway.”

“See you next week?” It was a statement more than a question.

“See you soon, Mike!”

Tina pulled the screen down and listened to the soft click as the laptop closed. She grabbed a thick book off the pile on her desk and carried it across the room where she sprawled across the bed to begin reading. She stared at the page for a while, but soon realized that she wasn’t going to make any progress with reading right now. She was too distracted. She slipped in a bookmark and set the book on the floor. She rolled onto her back, pulling her hair out from under her head and letting it splay across the pillow in a fan. She closed her eyes and finally let herself [vocalize](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-mdfiyMJh2c&) the things that were on her mind.

_ I bet this time of night you're still up. _

_ It takes everything in me not to call you.  
And I wish I could run to you. _

Just last week she had told Quinn that there wasn’t anyone who was distracting her, but it hadn’t been the whole truth. It was true that there was no one here at Brown who was distracting her, and it was true that she wasn’t going on very many dates. But actually there was someone who distracted her far more often than she wanted to admit, even to herself.

That conversation on the opening night of _Grease_ had replayed in her head so many times. Saying ‘no’ had seemed like the right thing to do at the time, and Tina couldn’t blame herself for following her heart. But now she looked back on it and wondered how life would have been if she’d answered him differently.

_ And I hope you know that every time I don't  
I almost do, _

Tina valued her friendship with Mike far too much to risk it though. She’d had her chance to say yes, and she’d said no. She had to live with that now. She sighed and finished the song softly.

“I miss you Mike,” she whispered.

 

\-----------------------------------

A hotel room in Northern California

\-----------------------------------

Brittany sat down on the end of the bed, her body turned toward Santana, who was sitting next to her. She took her girlfriend's hands between her own.

"I'm so glad you could come be with me for these last few shows," she said with a smile.

"Well you have four performances in eight days and they are all here in California," Santana smiled back. "The logistics weren't too hard to work out. I can do most of my work by phone or on my laptop so my boss didn't mind my taking this week to be with my girlfriend whom I've been missing very much." She leaned in and they rubbed noses.

"I'm really glad you are here," Brittany repeated, but we need to talk about some stuff. I know we talked a few times when we were in Lesbos and Hawaii, but I'm still confused about some things. Everything looks different on vacation than it does at home."

Santana nodded. She couldn't argue that. "What did you want to talk about, Britt?"

“I told you a couple of weeks ago that I was going to move in with you at the end of the tour.” The dark-haired girl nodded, acknowledging that she remembered the conversation. “You said we would talk about it,” Brittany continued, “but we haven’t.” She took on a serious expression. “I think you’re avoiding it. I think you’re avoiding telling me that you don’t want me to move in with you here, and I want to know why.”

Santana sighed. She had never understood why other people didn’t think Brittany was smart, because Britt always knew exactly what was going on with her.

“Yeah,” she admitted. “I’m worried about having you move in.”

“Why? You were the one who invited me to move in with you in New York. Why is LA different?”

“Because you don’t have a job, and you don’t know anyone there besides me--”

“And Mercedes and Rachel,” Brittany interjected.

“Right, so you know three people in a city of four million. I work a lot of hours, and I think you’ll be lonely. I know long distance is hard, but wouldn’t you be happier in a place where you knew more people?”

Brittany stared at her for a minute that felt unending. Santana held her tongue, knowing that she’d probably hurt her by saying that, but also feeling that it had needed to be said. Finally Brittany spoke.

“Remember when you were dating Dani?”

“Yeesss…” Santana furrowed her brow, unsure of where her girlfriend was going with this. It wasn’t like Brittany hadn’t dated a few other people herself...

“I always knew that you wouldn’t stay with her very long,” Brittany explained. “Because you weren’t right for each other.”

“How do you mean?” Santana was still confused, and now a little annoyed. Dani had been a great girlfriend.

“Because she didn’t know you like I did...like I do.” Brittany had a way of stating things so that they seemed obvious and irrefutable. “Even before you told me about your fights, or that big ugly break-up, I always knew it wouldn’t last.”

“What?” Santana still seemed a little confused, so Brittany decided to try another approach. She hopped to her feet and began to [sing](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VuNIsY6JdUw).

_ You're on the phone with your girlfriend—she's upset,  
She's going off about something that you said _

Brittany couldn’t help but move with the catchy beat of her song. Santana stayed seated on the edge of the bed, but Brittany’s upbeat tone and motions were already making some of the stress and worry fade away. Brittany had always done this for her. Sooner or later she was going to end up giving in to her girlfriend. She wasn’t really sure why she held out anymore.

__ But she wears short skirts  
I wear t-shirts  
She's cheer captain

Santana had started dating during middle school, but she and Brittany had been friends since even before that. It had taken Santana until her junior year of high school to come out to herself, and Brittany had been there for her. Brittany had always been there, through the boys, the cheerleaders, the waitresses… Brittany had been her first best friend, and Santana realized that it wasn’t such a bad thing if she was her last best friend too.

_ So, why can't you see—  
You belong with me _

Brittany grinned at Santana, her bright eyes squinting as she did so. She bobbed her head, flipping her long hair with the beat. Santana couldn’t help smiling too.

Dating other people had been a good experience. Santana had learned things about herself and about relationships in general. She didn’t regret dating Dani. But it was true that after the first few weeks of ‘honeymoon phase’ they had fought a lot. Dani spent a lot of time with the roller derby girls and she flirted with most of them. She said it was just in fun, but Santana couldn’t help feeling hurt and jealous anyway. It’s one thing to flirt when you’re single, but it’s something else when you have a girlfriend. Santana had asked her to stop, and Dani had told her to get over it. Their relationship hadn’t lasted long after that.

_ If you could see that I'm the one who understands you _

Brittany pulled Santana to her feet, both of them grinning now, and they bounced and danced around the room together. Brittany shook her long hair and Santana shimmied and they held hands and jumped on the bed until they both collapsed in tired contentment.

_ You belong with me.  _

They pulled each other into a close embrace. Santana carefully tucked a strand of hair behind Brittany's ear, then gently trailed her finger along it, feeling the familiar bumps of each piercing on the way down.

“You’re right,” she whispered to the pretty blonde. “I do belong with you. I don’t know how we are going to work out the details of all this, but you’re right. We belong together.”

Brittany smiled and nuzzled her face into the other girl’s neck. She inhaled Santana’s rich scent--a combination of conditioner and perfume that always made her feel like she was home. She was glad to be on the same page again.

 

\-----------------------------------

Lima, Ohio

\-----------------------------------

Sam sprawled across his bed, tired from a long day on his feet and feeling lazy after a nice warm shower. He enjoyed working with his hands at the garage, and he enjoyed Burt’s company, but today his mind had been elsewhere. He had watched a music video a couple of days ago and it was still stuck in his head... He pulled out his phone and tapped out a quick text.

_Are you busy?_

He waited for a reply. After several minutes with no response, he decided that Mercedes must be on stage. She normally responded quickly to his texts, but he couldn’t keep track of when (or even where) all her performances were. He laid back on the pillows and closed his eyes, letting his mind wander.

[Soft music](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lp-EO5I60KA) filled the space in Sam’s mind as he let his mind wander to the daydream that had been running through his head all day.

_ When your legs don't work like they used to before  
And I can't sweep you off of your feet _

He saw Mercedes step onto the dance floor of a large, empty ballroom; her elegant, shimmering gown brushed the floorboards as she moved--almost floated--across the space toward him.

_ And, darling, I will be loving you 'til we're 70  
And, baby, my heart could still fall as hard at 23 _

Sam, formally dressed as well, met his beloved in the middle of the floor, taking her into his arms as they came together and began to gently sway in time with the music. In the moment that they touched, Sam felt that all was right in the world, and he knew that he didn’t want anyone else. He held her close as they moved around the room in measured steps.

Sam pulled Mercedes close, looking into her eyes and trying to let his expression tell her how he felt. She met his gaze, and he felt certain that she still cared for him too. He stepped back with a wide grin, spinning her under his arm before pulling her in again. There was nothing in the world that felt so right as touching and holding her.

_ Take me into your loving arms  
Kiss me under the light of a thousand stars _

Sam hadn’t been looking for love when he agreed to go to prom with Mercedes and Rachel all that time ago. Then Rachel had ditched them for Jesse and he had spent the whole evening with Mercedes. He remembered the first glimpse of her in her flowing purple gown, and the realization that he had never noticed before how lovely she was. He remembered the look on her face when he told her she was beautiful and asked her to dance.

He never wanted to stop asking her to dance.

Sam knew the relationship would take effort to make it work, but in his mind they whirled around the ballroom together with perfect and effortless synchronicity: every step matching and every movement harmonized with the other. He had no doubt that it could work out.

_ I'm thinking out loud  
That maybe we found love right where we are _

As the song ended he dipped her grandly. Then he brought her back up and pressed his lips gently to hers. They both stilled. Kissing once, twice, forever...

Sam’s phone buzzed with an incoming message, jerking him back to reality. He looked at the small screen and saw a message from Mercedes.

_hey Sam, what’s up?_

He smiled as he typed his response.

_just thinking out loud..._

 

\-----------------------------------

McKinley High School, Lima, Ohio

\-----------------------------------

“Do you have an eraser?” Ryder asked, pencil poised in midair as he looked up from his notebook.

Unique was sitting across the table from him in the astronomy classroom. It had become a favorite place for them to do homework together on the days they didn’t have rehearsal for The Vibratos. She started rummaging through her bag. “Yes, just a moment.” She pulled out an eraser and handed it over.

“Thanks.” Ryder’s smile was genuine as he rubbed the eraser on the paper. They had come a long way in the last year or so.

During sophomore year Unique had pretended to be someone else online, trying to get Ryder to like her - understand her - and the whole thing had really blown up in both their faces. She had lied, he had fallen for someone who didn’t exist, and both of them had gotten hurt in the process. He had even said he was going to leave glee club over it, but at the end of the year the glee club had pulled together and relied on each other so much through the school shooting scare and then Finn’s death, and Ryder had realized that the friendships he had in the group were bigger than the frustration and hurt he’d felt over the catfishing. He and Unique had had a bumpy road into friendship for sure, but it had reached a comfortable place. They sang and danced together in performances, but they had also danced together at prom.They even flirted in the friendly way that so many people do.

They both worked in silence for a while, each making good progress, until Unique started humming. It was a catchy tune, and the longer she hummed, the slower her writing got until finally she stopped writing at all and started tapping her pencil against the table instead.

"Do you mind?" Ryder asked.

"Wha...? Oh, sorry," Unique smiled as she went back to work. But within a minute she was humming again.

This time Ryder just threw the eraser at her.

"Hey!"

"Hey yourself!" he retorted. "You're the one singing when I'm trying to do calculus."

"Well I can't help that I heard the song this morning and it's been stuck in my head all day!" Unique defended herself. "Maybe if I could sing the whole thing it would help."

"You just don't want to finish that report," he suggested with a knowing smirk.

"Hey, we can't all be as smart as you, Ryder," she snapped back. "Some of us have to work for it, Mister AP Math class."

"I work for it!" he said indignantly.

"I know you do," Unique replied gently. "You are one of the hardest workers I know, as well as one of the smartest. You've had to deal with more in that department than I ever have, and I respect you for it."

Ryder couldn't help but smile. Unique really was one of the most accepting people he knew, and he was glad he'd finally given her a chance.

"So, shall we sing this thing?" Unique asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Sure. Fine. But then I need to finish--"

 _"Excellent!"_ Unique declared, fishing into her bookbag. "Here," she tossed him an unsharpened pencil and held up another for herself. "Go big or go home, right?!"

Ryder shook his head with a resigned chuckle as Unique pulled him to his feet, then stepped back. She held up the pencil like a microphone, struck a pose, and began to [sing](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1oM3kQpXRo):

_ All I knew this morning when I woke  
Is I know something now, know something now I didn't before. _

Ryder scooted in next to Unique, holding up his own pencil with a grin as he slipped an arm around her waist. She mirrored him, putting her arm around his back as well. His smile grew even wider as they sang together.

_ I just wanna know you better, know you better, know you better now _

Unique stepped back for a moment as Ryder sang the next part.

_ And all my walls stood tall painted blue  
And I'll take them down, take them down and open up the door for you _

If anyone had told Ryder two years ago, or even one year ago, that Unique would become one of his best friends, he’d have laughed in their face. Well, maybe not in their face, but he would have definitely laughed. Before the catfishing he hadn’t known her that well, and then for a while he’d been too mad to let himself get to know her. But now...

Unique stepped up and they faced each other as they sang the chorus.

_ I just wanna know you better, know you better, know you better now _

Ryder couldn’t help but beam at his best friend as she sang the end of the song.

_ All I know since yesterday is everything has changed  _

“Ok, so now can I finish my math?” he teased. “Or do we need to sing it again to make sure it is fully out of your head?”

“You just like getting cozy with me,” Unique teased him.

“Maybe!” Ryder teased back. “And maybe I just want to get close enough to do this!” He pinched her waist and jumped back before she could do it in return.

“Oh you better watch yo’self boy!” she grinned at him mischievously, “or we are not going to get much singing done here today!”

“Ha!” he retorted. “Only if you can catch me!” And with that he bolted for the door.

 

\----------------------------------

The Loft, New York City

\-----------------------------------

Blaine adjusted the screen of the laptop to avoid the glare from the lamp.

“Is it ready?” Kurt asked, bringing over another chair so that they could sit side by side in front of the camera.

“Yeah, I’m just clicking on it now,” Blaine replied.

They had decided to talk with their parents over video chat to tell them the news about setting a date for the wedding. They couldn’t really afford to fly home to tell them in person, but they still wanted something more personal than a phone call or email.

“Hey kiddo!”  Burt’s round face came up on the screen as he lifted his hat for a moment to scratch the top of his bald head. “What’s so important that it couldn’t wait for the regular Friday night call?”

“Dad, you make it sound like you don’t want to hear from me!” Kurt teased.

“Of course I want to hear from you, Kurt. I want to hear from you every day. But you’re busy and I don’t expect more than our Friday night calls. So I’m just wondering if everything is ok.”

“Yes, everything is ok.” “Everything is fine,” Blaine and Kurt spoke at the same time.

“So what’s up?” Burt asked again.

“Is Carole there?” Kurt asked, beginning to shake a little with nerves. He knew they would support him no matter what, just as they always had, but he couldn’t help feeling a little anxious. This was a big deal, after all!

“Sure, _hey Carole_!” Burt yelled off to the side. A moment later Carole appeared in the screen, pulling up a chair beside Burt’s.

“Hi boys, what’s going on?” she asked.

“Well,” Kurt’s voice had gone high and breathy.

“We have something we’d like to tell you,” Blaine said, rubbing his hands across Kurt’s shoulders and down his arms to help calm his anxiety.

“We set a date!” Kurt squeaked.

“You set a--” Burt began.

“Oooh!” Carole shrieked. “That’s so exciting!”

“Congratulations, son,” Burt said, adjusting his hat again and licking his lips. “So when is the big day then?”

“May,” they replied in unison.

“That’s pretty quick. Are you ready for this?” Burt asked seriously.

“Of course they are,” Carole chided, elbowing her husband in the ribs.

“No, I mean, is that enough time to plan the wedding?”

“I planned your wedding in a lot less time than this!” Kurt reminded him, feeling much calmer now.

“That’s right, I guess you did,” Burt smiled at the memory. “Well then, I guess you two just let us know what you need us to do.”

"Of course," Blaine started at the same time as Kurt tenderly said "we just want you to come, you don't have to _do_ anything."

"Hey kiddo, my son is gettin' married. You gotta let me do somethin' or I will go nuts! Don't make me just sit around!"

Kurt and Blaine gave each other a meaningful look before Carole spoke up.

"You will do it there in New York, right? Because of the laws?"

"Well," Blaine began, but Kurt put his hand over his fiancé's mouth and stopped him.

"Actually, we wanted to talk to you about that..."

\-----------------------------------

“Well, that went well!” Blaine said cheerfully twenty minutes later.

“Yeah, we kind of knew that it would though,” Kurt responded. He was getting nervous again. “Now we have to call your parents.”

“Yeah.” Blaine pressed the key and they waited for the call to go through.

"Hey, it's gonna be ok," Kurt tried to reassure him.

"Kurt, they didn't come to the proposal because they didn't approve. I don't think I will be able to take it if they refuse to come to our wedding." Blaine had started twisting his ring around his finger over and over. Kurt remembered when his own ring had been new and he had done the same thing.

A ringing noise came from the computer as they waited for the Andersons to connect on their end.

"Blaine, they love you. It's been a year and a half, it will go better this time. It has to." Kurt pressed their foreheads together and gripped Blaine's shoulders firmly.

"I know, I just--"

“Hello son!” Richard Anderson said cheerfully when he answered.

"Hi dad!" Blaine's grin immediately filled his face.

"I’ve got your mother here too, like you said," his father continued.

"Good, good," Blaine was fidgeting in his seat and his parents noticed.

"What’s going on Blaine?" His mother, Pam asked. "You don’t usually call in the middle of the week. Do you need money for school or groceries or something?”

“No, no, it’s nothing like that.” Blaine was suddenly a little flustered. “It’s just that we have some news and we didn’t want to tell you over the phone.

“Oh my god, is something wrong?” she asked worriedly.

“No!” both of them said together, grinning in amusement at how similar this phone conversation was to the previous one.

“Nothing is wrong, actually something is right!” Blaine assured her. “We just wanted to tell you that we set a date for our wedding!”

The Andersons glanced at each other before turning back to Blaine and Kurt.

“No you didn’t,” Blaine’s father blurted.

“Actually, we did,” Kurt answered quietly. He was on pretty good terms with Richard and Pam, but he didn’t like the way that they sometimes still treated Blaine like a child.

“Blaine, honey, don’t you think this is really fast?” his mother asked.

“Mom, we’ve been engaged for a year and a half,” Blaine pointed out.

“And you’re both very young,” she continued, “and still in school and everything.”

“We didn’t call to have an argument about it.” Kurt’s frustration was in his voice as well as his face.

“This is a conversation we should have in person,” Richard announced, clearly shutting down any further discussion for the night. “We will get plane tickets to come see you this weekend.”

Kurt looked at Blaine and Blaine stared back. There was nothing to be done now except wait for the weekend.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Thank you for reading Glee Season Fix!  
Help us out by spreading the word and reblogging this on your tumblr? [ Click here ](http://gleeseasonfix.tumblr.com/post/107888468678/gleeseasonfix-glee-season-fix-click-here-to)

[ Promotional Stills ](http://gleeseasonfix.tumblr.com/post/107520717926/episode-stills-for-glee-season-fix-red-x-i-dont)  
Songs in this episode:  
Quinn: Red by Taylor Swift  
Rachel: Photograph by Ed Sheeran  
Kurt: Kiss Me by Ed Sheeran  
Tina: I Almost Do by Taylor Swift  
Brittany and Santana: You Belong With Me by Taylor Swift  
Sam: Thinking Out Loud by Ed Sheeran  
Unique and Ryder: Everything Has Changed by Taylor Swift feat. Ed Sheeran


	3. Reunion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Let’s make a deal. 6 months from now, we all come back. Right here, to this place… because I’m gonna need something to look forward to."  
> And this is what happened...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Episode 3 was written by [ gingerfic ](http://archiveofourown.org/users/gingerfic/pseuds/gingerfic), [ thedementress](http://thedementress.tumblr.com/) & [ to-write-is-to-bleed ](http://to-write-is-to-bleed.tumblr.com/)  
> Beta by [ casgrippedhimtight ](http://casgrippedhimtight.tumblr.com/), [ HKvoyage ](http://hkvoyage.tumblr.com) & [ alwaysfallingforanidea ](http://alwaysfallingforanidea.tumblr.com/)
> 
> Disclaimer: This is a work of fanfiction. All the characters and backstories belong to Glee and its creators.  
> Glee Season Fix (“GSF”) was written independently of spoilers about Glee Season 6. If songs or plots overlap, it’s due to coincidence or nature of the storylines that need resolution. 
> 
> Like on the show, GSF also includes songs and performances. There are links to full versions of each song, as well as song lyrics written out in the scene. We hope you will enjoy listening as well as reading, but be aware that the written version is shortened, whereas the audio versions are the full songs. Where possible, the links go to versions of the song performed by the actors from the show, and we especially encourage you to check those out. In this episode, those songs are Blaine’s cover of “Part of Me” and Sam’s mash-up of “Last Friday Night/Get Lucky.”

_So here's what you missed on Glee Season Fix:_

_Last spring Rachel, Kurt, Blaine, Sam, Mercedes, Artie, Brittany, and Santana were all hanging out together in New York. Rachel got cast for a show in LA, Mercedes was going on a concert tour, and Sam was going back to Lima, but they all agreed to come back for a reunion in six months._

_Kurt and Blaine have huge news that they haven't told their friends yet. Artie is preparing to make his first full length movie and Rachel is still adjusting to working on TV. Mercedes and Brittany just got back from the tour and Santana is impressing everyone with her new job as a publicist._

_Sam and Mercedes haven't seen each other since they broke up, although they both seem to be thinking about each other a lot. Who knew Sam was such a romantic, right?_

_And that’s what you missed..._

 

 

OCTOBER 2014

\-----------------------------------

New York City

\-----------------------------------

 

A wheelchair smoothly rolled into Callbacks, followed by a pair of swinging hands holding one another. Kurt, tugging on Blaine’s hand, beamed at the noisy, warm room and relished in fond after-school memories. Blaine blushed slightly at his first memory of this place.

Artie went over to the largest booth at the back of the room and plucked the large “RESERVED” card off the table. Getting this table on a packed Friday night wasn’t easy. Reservations took a lot of string-pulling from Kurt and a long-suffering promise from Artie to be allowed to star in the budding filmmaker’s next movie.

“I’ll just talk to Tony,” Artie said, gesturing at the handsome bartender behind the bar. “Drinks gon’ be flowin’ all night long!” As he wheeled away, Kurt and Blaine slid into their seats.

“Do we announce it tonight?” said Blaine, unwrapping his scarf. “I know you would like to do it at a dinner party event to rival the Met Gala, but it’s our first reunion in six months.”

Kurt sighed. “Blaine, I’m still not... comfortable.”

“Why?” Blaine was playing with his ring again, twisting it back and forth with his other hand.

“Because,” Kurt frowned. “We’re not in the clear with your parents yet.” All it took was an exchange of looks from the Andersons to get Kurt’s nerves unsettled. Their visit last weekend had been awkward at best.

_“Kurt, honey, we love you dearly, you know that,” Pam Anderson had said, placing a gentle arm around him. “We cannot think of anyone more perfect for our Blaine.” She wrinkled her smooth forehead, glancing back at her son. “But we both feel strongly that it’s too soon. It’s not smart to have studies and wedding plans going on at the same time especially when they are things that need solid focus.”_

_“She’s right,” Richard Anderson said from the doorway of the living room. His arms were crossed, a gesture that Blaine did not take lightly. “We don’t like that--”_

“Hey,” Artie announced his arrival, jolting Kurt out of his thoughts. “I texted Sam. He said he’s on his way.”

Blaine discreetly checked his phone. “Rachel, too,” he said.

They waited, making small talk while checking their Facebook pages and Twitter. When Artie was on his fifth try on a Candy Crush level, the Callbacks door opened and _they_ entered.

It was worthy of a slo-mo scene when Brittany, Santana, and Mercedes walked in with their arms linked while Sam followed closely behind. An excited Kurt waved them over to their table before standing up to greet them all.

“We’ve missed you so much!”

Hugs and kisses were exchanged; Kurt even sniffed a little bit from how long it’d been. Blaine and Sam were the last to say hello. Their epic Bro Hug--which lifted Blaine’s smaller frame off the floor--lasted so long that everyone else started to get uncomfortable. Finally Kurt gave a loud cough.

“How has everyone been back in Lima, Sam? Is my dad doing alright,” Kurt asked after Sam released Blaine and was done with their super secret handshake.

“Your dad’s doing great, Kurt,” Sam casually said. “I mean aside from when I’ve caught him looking depressed when he thinks nobody is looking. But other than that,” Sam shrugged. “He’s awesome.” Kurt shot a distressed look at Blaine. _See? I told you._

“That doesn’t mean he wants you to drop everything and come see him or anything,” Sam hastily added, noticing the reaction. “He knows you guys are busy. He just... misses you. That’s all.”

Kurt rubbed his eyes. He knew he should be visiting his dad more often. There was just so much going on. He and Blaine couldn’t do _everything._ But then again, he thought with guilt, one phone call wasn’t too much work.

Blaine broke the silence. “Where’s Rachel? I thought she was flying in with you guys,”

“Rachel? She’s back at your place,” said Santana, flipping her newly dyed hair. “Something about,” she rose her voice to an annoying, high pitch. “‘I need to get the airplane stench off me!’”

Laughter roared around the table. And suddenly, it felt like high school all over again to be laughing at Rachel.

“Oh, Lordy. Remember back in high school how she tried to get Kurt to give her a makeover so she could get Finn’s attention?” Mercedes reminisced, grinning at the ridiculousness of it all.

“That’s a lot of talk from the one who smashed my poor Navigator’s windshield!” Kurt exclaimed.

“Hush now, love. You said no hard feelings. Past is past.” Mercedes cuddled up to Kurt to pacify him but ruined the effect by winking at everyone else. Everyone snickered. Kurt shook his head fondly and laid it on top of Mercedes’ head.

Catch-ups bursted from different parts of the table, each letting the nearest person know the highlights of the past few months. With all their attention elsewhere, nobody noticed when a tall, lean man snaked his way to the group and slowly elevator-rose behind Kurt and Blaine. His wide grin was infectious.

“Mike!” Artie yelled at the new arrival. “Glad you made it!” He held out a hand for a fist bump and received a tight hug instead. Mike then proceeded to high-five and embrace everyone round the table, except for Brittany whom he spun into a twirl and confidently lifted into the air. Impressed cheers and hoots of laughter filled the table as Mike placed the blonde back down to the ground and received a giggly, happy hug from her.

“I’ve missed dancing with you too, Mike,” she said, smiling widely. Santana offered the empty space next to her that Mike gladly took. The dancer was all wide grins and restless energy.

“So tell us, what’s up?!”

“We’re getting into final rehearsals for the end-of-semester performances,” Mike began, stretching his neck. “I was a little nervous about adjusting to a new school when I transferred down from Joffrey, but Juilliard’s pretty great actually. Our director--who’s kind of cool but manic-weird like Jesse St. James--keeps banging into our heads that nobody comes to Juilliard to be a professional dancer but to,” Mike struck a ridiculous, dramatic pose and drawled in a fake French accent. _“Daaaance.”_

While everyone chuckled, he added, “So we can’t complain about long rehearsals. Especially on weekends.” Almost absently, he stretched his shoulders and rubbed the sore spot.

“Well, I think it’s time we get this party started.” Blaine announced as he stood up. “I’ll go first before Rachel chokeholds the entire night. Love you,” he added with a quick peck to Kurt’s cheek before heading to the stage.

While Blaine tuned the guitar strings to his liking, Kurt’s mind drifted to a time four years back when Blaine had asked him whether he thought it was okay to sing to a guy he liked. With a chuckle Kurt wondered if maybe he should have said “no,” since Blaine had now made a habit of serenading Kurt at every opportunity. (Those McKinley courtyard ones especially made him roll his eyes; they had gotten so over the top). Kurt liked to sing to Blaine too though, even if he didn’t usually do it in public. It wasn’t really about who sang to whom, it was just another way they had of saying “I love you” to each other.

Kurt thought back to that first serenade in the Dalton common room. It felt so long ago. Sometimes he almost couldn’t remember how the other half of his life had felt, the part that did not know Blaine. As that grinning, dark-haired man leaned into the microphone and [began to play](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBM5CT4ir18&feature=youtu.be&t=1m33s), Kurt’s mind returned to the present. It had been a long road, but now they were on the cusp of announcing the beginning of their forever. Loving Blaine made him a better person, and Kurt was ready for forever to begin anytime.

_ Days like this I want to drive away  
_

_ But that was then and this is now  
Now look at me _

Blaine looked straight at Kurt and sang just for him the way he always did: heart wide open and eyes shining with pure, unrestrained joy. Everyone in the table visibly relaxed, the roaring stresses of the past week melting away. There was something comfortable and safe about listening to a good friend sing.  
  
 _This is the part of me  
That you’re never gonna ever take away from me, no_

After Kurt’s alleyway incident, Blaine made sure to sing at least one song to him everyday. Love songs, sad songs, silly songs (‘Blood’ by My Chemical Romance makes a fun and theatrical cleaning song), just as long the music was alive between them. Blaine was oblivious to the rest of the world now; his whole energy being thrown into the power of his music.  
  
 __Now look at me I’m sparkling  
A firework, a dancing flame  
  


_In fact you can keep everything, yeah, yeah,_  
 _Except for me--_ ”Everyone!”

Blaine took his hands off the strings and clapped his hands over his head. Now the whole bar was filled with loud singing, the loudest coming from the table at the back.

Only Kurt sang the words the way that they often did at home:  _You are the part of me that they’re never gonna ever take away from me, no…_

Then Blaine’s fingers slammed back down to the guitar, his ring catching the lights as he did so.

At that last note and to the sound of roaring applause, the door to Callbacks slammed open. A small figure was standing rather dramatically in the doorway. Blaine grinned and leaned forward to the microphone.

“Welcome back, Ms. Rachel Berry.”

\------------------------------------

The brunette briskly walked to the New Directions table with her arms wide open while leaving a trail of curious whispers from the other customers.

“I am so glad to see you, Rachel!” Mercedes said with much sincerity, jumping up to embrace the girl.

“Hello, everyone! I missed you all,” gushed Rachel as she gave tight hugs and kisses to everyone present. Her face was glowing and her eyes seemed to sparkle with joy, a look that took Santana by surprise because of its absence in the past months. Rachel looked for a place to sit and since the head of the table was occupied by Artie’s wheelchair, she sat at the closest seat next to him.

“And how is everyone doing?” she said, looking around at the table. “What did I miss?”

“Well, here’s what you missed in Glee club,” Artie ticked off his fingers. “Mike has a rehearsal schedule that is already making us tired thinking about it, Mercedes just finished touring, Kurt and Blaine are dating (“No way?!”), and I,” he puffed up, “am working on my greatest film to date yet.”

“And plan on showing it to an Indie film fest, I suppose?” said Kurt. Artie nodded in reply.

Rachel clasped her hands. “I love it. I can’t wait to see the film, Artie. And Mike,” she looked at Mike who had already begun on the plate of nachos that had just arrived. “I will try to get out of my tremendous and busy schedule to watch your recital.”

“Fanks, Rachel,” said Mike, mouth stuffed with nachos.

“Speaking of films, how is the show going?” Sam asked. “Burt, Carole, and I watch it all the time.”

Rachel’s eyes widened in a moment of panic. “Oh, the show. Yes, well, everything is...” she paused. Her mind raced. What is she going to tell her friends? Sucking it up, she plastered on a smile. “Everything is going really great. The producer _loves_ me and my fellow actors are the best,” Rachel said, purposely ignoring the icy look Santana was giving her from across the table. Sure, maybe her life in LA was less than perfect. Her living conditions weren’t all that glamorous and not everyone was nice. Sitting here in the comfort of her circle of friends, she truly longed for someone to value her person. Perhaps her current leave from the studio would make her co-workers realize how Rachel Berry put the star in _Star._

“And you, Sam. What’s going on in Lima lately? How’re Burt and Carole doing?” Rachel said.

"Let's see..." Sam sat back in his chair, stretching his arms into the air behind him. "Principal Sylvester stuck with her policy of only funding teams that win. And Coach Beiste is awesome! She got the football team whipped into shape so they’re hanging on."

"Hold up, they made it to state?" Mike asked incredulously.

"No,” Sam shook his head. “But they made it to regionals, which is good enough if y’ask me.” He picked up a french fry and munched on it thoughtfully. “I think Sylvester is ignoring the football team. She’s never attacked Beiste’s varsity team."

"No football team, no Cheerios,” Brittany said nonchalantly. “And the whole town would hate her."

Eyebrows quirked in her direction. The speed it took for Brittany to point out the motive took them by surprise.

"What about Schue and Ms. Pillsbury?" Artie pressed.

"And baby Daniel," Rachel added with a little squeal.

"The same as ever I guess," Sam said with a smile. Then he knit his brow. "But I did hear Schue and Ms. Pillsbury talking in the hall after school the other day and she was saying that it's really hard to be a working mom and that she worries about the baby all the time when she's away from him."

"I think that's pretty normal," Rachel said.

"It is," Blaine said, bringing his hands together. "But this is Ms. Pillsbury we're talking about. My dad said that after Mom had me, she had something called...” he frowned trying to remember the term. “Post… partum anxiety. That’s it. And with Ms. Pillsbury’s history, she’s probably at higher risk for that sort of thing. That's got to be rough."

Kurt took Blaine’s hand, glad to know that whenever his own anxiety reared up he would have someone as supportive as Blaine beside him.

"What were you doing at the school anyway?" Santana shot at Sam. "You can’t still be depressed over California Girl over there for not getting any Fine-Fresh-Fierce enough that you would go fishing for Lima jailbait?”

Sam flushed slightly but covered it up with a laugh, avoiding Mercedes’s eyes now. "No, I was there to help The Vibratos with rehearsals."

“The what?”

“The Vibratos,” repeated Sam with a proud smile. “Marley, Unique, and the others have a new group name.”

Santana snorted. “Sounds more like something I keep in my bedside drawer.”

\------------------------------------

“Are you coming back to Lima now that the tour is done?” Sam asked Brittany a while later.

“Lord Tubbington skyped me and told me that he wanted me to come back,” Brittany said, sipping her strawberry milkshake. “But Santana lives in LA, so I’m going there.”

“Sweetheart, you don’t have a job there yet. What will you do?” said Santana, taking her girlfriend’s hand and lacing their fingers together.

“You’re like a girl god. You made a job out of nothing. And then rested for seven days after that,” Brittany countered. “I mean you go around telling people what to do and what to think, same thing you did in high school. Only now they pay you for it.”

“Preach,” Artie’s voice cut in as his hand went to the air. At that moment another voice, not coming from the assembled party, spoke up. It had a familiar, feather-like snipy tone.

“So what do they call you now? Rachel Berry’s Personal Life Tormentor?”

Heads spun around. Excited yells exploded as Quinn Fabray, blonde and graceful, walked up to them, arm linked with--

“Tina! You’re here!”

“Blainey!”

In the midst of the chaotic greeting, Rachel stared at Quinn in blissful disbelief. “You’re here.” Slowly she came forward for an embrace that Quinn tightly returned. “How?”

“Blaine told Tina and Tina told me.”

“Where’s Puck?” said Rachel, looking around as though hoping that he had just gotten held up for a second.

Quinn creased her forehead and pouted slightly. “He couldn’t make it. He sends everyone his love though.”

Tina had just pulled out of a hug with Sam before adding, “Sorry we were late. Q wouldn’t leave the library until she finished her paper.” Exhaling, she beamed at all of her friends, finally together again after so long. And then, everyone else would swear later, fireworks flew.

Mike pushed forward to catch her in a spinning-hug. “Tina! You look… great. Really great,” he said as he set her down, eyes shining brightly. Tina bit her lip and ducked her head down, trying to stamp down the goofy grin that threatened to total her face. Her ex had just complimented her. Big deal. She could be cool about this.

“T-thanks. I--”

“Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” Blaine murmured at Kurt as they watched the two interact. He had a gleam in his eye that Kurt matched.

Kurt whispered back, “You mean a Central Park date for these two and lunch at The Spotlight Diner where I get to pick Tina’s outfit and you get to assemble the bouquet of flowers Mike gives her? Absolutely.”

Blaine smirked.

Santana snapped her fingers. “Hello people, I was talking. Back to me!”

“By all means, don’t let my presence pull focus,” Quinn quipped dryly as she took her place next to Santana.

“Actually,” Santana made a grand gesture toward her girlfriend. “We were talking about Britt and what she’s going to do next.”

“I’m thinking I can probably find a way to get paid for doing what I’m good at too, just like Santana.” Brittany said as she twirled a lock of hair between her fingers. “I mean,” she shrugged. “I just toured with Mercedes. I bet I can find other jobs dancing. But I also won’t say no to penguin feeding at the zoo.” The blonde nodded her head firmly, indicating that there was no room for debate on this.

“I know, sweetheart,” Santana acquiesced. “You’re right. I found something and it’s going really well for me, and you’re talented. There’s no way that you won’t be able to make it work too. It’s a harsh world out there,” she couldn’t help but glance in Rachel’s direction, “but when you know what you want--”

“And who you want!” Brittany interjected, laying her head on Santana’s shoulder.

“--you find a way to make it work.”

Murmurs of assent rose from the group. They all had weathered their own storms in high school, yet everybody is doing pretty well just about now.

“So, Artie, tell us about your project,” Mike piped up.

“Oh, right.” Artie smiled. “I will spend the whole year working on a documentary, basically a capstone project for graduation,” he explained.

Mercedes said, “What’s it about?”

“Well, ever since high school I’ve wanted to make a film about the history of dance.” As Artie looked around the table for some reaction, Tina in particular nodded encouragingly. She was the one only who knew his confession about his dream during freshman year.

“Irony,” Santana coughed before taking a sip of her drink. That heckle earned her a couple of narrowed eyes. “What? You know you were all thinking it.”

“Thank you, Santana. That has not been lost on me,” Artie said in a tone that held a tolerance and patience that only years of friendship with Santana Lopez can develop.

He added, “I also thought about doing one on how arts programs in schools can make a difference for the kids who participate in them. I’ve been thinking about that a lot ever since Principal Sylvester shut down the glee club. I mean, look where we are now.” He waved his drink as the passion in his voice heightened. “Without glee, we wouldn’t be here together right now.”

“Well, I’m sure that whatever you decide to do, it will be great,” Blaine said brightly.

“Artie is sort of a genius,” Rachel agreed, nodding.

Artie downed the rest of his drink. “And on _that_ note, I am headed for the stage before my head gets too big for this table.” He rolled off with a wink. After a brief conversation with the DJ, someone handed Artie a microphone. It was hard to see him from the back since he couldn’t get his chair up onto the stage, but even without a visual, a hush fell over the room when the keyboards trilled a familiar tune, then he began to [sing](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBumgq5yVrA).

__ Well you only need the light when it's burning low  
Only miss the sun when it starts to snow  
Only know you love her when you let her go

Those who had not seen Artie in a long while brightened in delight with the improvement of his voice. A fresh, new confidence layered the suave singing. Even strangers couldn’t help but give in to the pull; the way Artie had always sang felt like a private serenade to each of them.

Kurt’s face twitched in surprise. Santana had just flicked a piece of popcorn in his direction. He caught her eye and she jerked her head towards the end of the table. Kurt looked where she indicated and saw Sam staring openly at Mercedes.

Santana mouthed, “He’s got it baaaad.”

Kurt chuckled and whispered the info in Blaine’s ear. So much history was passing through the way Sam was looking at her.

_ Staring at the ceiling in the dark  
Same old empty feeling in your heart _

Mercedes was very much aware that Sam had been watching her. If she was honest, she had been watching him too. She had no regrets on her decision about their relationship last spring. In fact, she still stood by it. But choosing to break up didn’t mean that she had stopped thinking about him. She thought about him a lot actually. She remembered back to that day in high school when she had sung “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” and the face in her mind had been Sam’s. His blond hair and the sweet smile on his memorable, soft lips was still the only face in her mind.

Mike sat quietly in the corner. He too had loved someone. They had let go of each other at graduation because they thought it was the smart thing to do, but sometimes he wasn't so sure. He still felt echoes of her, in every pirouette and every partner he held. Hands and lips that remembered the silk of her skin tingled with memories every time their song came on. He was glad to still be friends with Tina, but sometimes he wished there was another way.  
  
 _Will you let her go?_

A tear rolled down Rachel’s cheek. She brushed it aside, glancing around to see if anyone had noticed. And to her dismay, no one had noticed. The day when Finn had put her on the train to New York, telling her that he loved her so much that he had to set her free made her ache. She had hated him for it for months and months. Yet in spite of the ugly breakup that followed, she had become more grateful for putting her on that train. And at least they’d reconciled… before it was too late to. She swiped away another tear.

_ And you let her go   _

The crowd cheered and so did his friends. Everyone at the table shifted their chairs to let Artie fit back into the circle.

“‘Cedes,” said a low voice beside her.

“Hi Sam,” she answered, just as low.

“Can I sit by you?”

“Of course.”

His wide smile could have put the sun to shame.

“I’ve missed you.”

“I’ve missed you too, Sam.” He put his arm across the back of her chair. Her eyelashes fluttered, as did her heart, but she didn’t say a word.

Blaine was absent-mindedly twisting his ring back and forth with his thumb when Tina shrieked, breaking the gentleness of the moment.

"Blaine, what is that?!"

"What?" Blaine looked confused.

"Your hand!"

He held it up, and immediately everyone saw what Tina had noticed.

"You have a ring! You two didn't elope without telling us did you?" Tina shot a dirty look at Kurt, and it was matched by the glare that Rachel gave to him.

"No, no, no! It's an engagement ring, like mine," Kurt hurriedly explained. "I needed all the attractive gay men of New York to know that this man is off the market!" He wrapped an arm around Blaine's back and pulled him close.

"Am I not one of the attractive gay men of New York?" Blaine pretended to pout.

"Oh shut up," Kurt teased, leaning down to plant a kiss on his fiancé's neck.

“You two are so sappy it makes me sick,” Santana snorted. “C’mon Brittany, let’s go find something to sing.” She snatched her girlfriend’s hand, pulled her out of her chair and ran towards the stage.

“We are, you know,” Blaine whispered in Kurt’s ear.

“What?” Kurt’s brow furrowed.

“We are sappy.”

“Yes, I’m aware,” Kurt responded fondly, and gave his fiancé a peck on the cheek.

Mike found himself unable to stop watching Tina. While he absently stretched different body joints, he relaxed under the sound of her wild, unrestrained laugh. He hadn’t expected to see her tonight, but he was glad that she’d come. Really glad. She glanced his way and her gaze lingered longer than necessary. Mike smiled, and she smiled in return before turning back to the other girls who were peppering her with questions about Brown and her life there. Then something clicked.

He sighed to himself, “I am so screwed.”

\------------------------------------

Santana stepped up to the microphone at the front of the room.

“Quinn, get up here!” she ordered playfully. Quinn laughed and trotted her way toward the stage as Santana continued.

“Ladies and gentlemen, tonight is a special night. For the first time in New York City, the Unholy Trinity!” With a kiss blown to the crowd, she stepped back to situate herself between Quinn and Brittany. The three friends dipped their heads toward one another for a moment, before separating with smiles and overstated poses as the [music began](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6g3JgnpElc).

_ Cheers to the freakin' weekend  
I drink to that, yeah yeah _

The Unholy Trinity was smoldering hot tonight in New York City. “Captivating” was an understatement as the young audience grooved to their song. The girls bumped their hips against each other, sometimes playfully and sometimes more suggestively. They bathed in the spotlight, clearly enjoying the company as much as the performing.

Rachel sat quietly, watching them and remembering the simpler times they had all had together in high school, at least once she hadn’t been afraid to have lunch with them or approach them in the hallway. While she didn’t regret any of her career choices, she sometimes wished she hadn’t burned so many bridges to get to where she was now.

 __Life's too short to be sittin' round miserable  
People gon' talk whether you doing bad or good, yeah  
Got a drink on my mind and my mind on my money, yeah  
Looking so bomb, gonna find me a honey

“Tina, Rachel, Mercedes,” Santana’s voice was low into the microphone while the other girls sang the repeated choruses. “I think it’s time we upgrade this to a Troubletones number. We all sang in the group at Nationals, so get your asses up here!”

Amid hurried scooting and shifting (and maybe a little shoving), the other three women worked their way out from the group in the corner and headed for the stage to join their friends for the finale.

All six women stood closely together in a row, sharing microphones in pairs as they pumped their fists in the air with each “yeah yeah” they sang.

_ There's a party at the bar everybody put your glasses up and I drink to that  
I drink to that! _

\------------------------------------

“Girls! That was amazing,” Blaine congratulated them upon their return.

“Who knew that a little cheerleader number in the choir room and a “Single Ladies” routine would be the beginning of something like that, right,” Tina said, still a little breathless.

“Thanks girls, that was fun,” Mercedes giggled. “You think that after six months of doing concerts everywhere I would be sick of singing on stages. Nope!”

“It never gets old, does it?” Kurt agreed, taking a sip of his Margarita.

“So what’s next for you, Mercedes?” said Blaine.

“Well, now that I’ve done the publicity tour for the album, I’m going back to LA to take a break.”

Everyone chuckled except Brittany who looked at Mercedes with a confused expression. “I thought you were going to the Grammys?”

“Yes, actually, Brittany was there with me when I got the call,” Mercedes said. “The album has been doing well and my producer wants to try to nominate me for best new artist. I just… don’t think I’m really that strong of a contender yet, considering some of the other people I would be up against. But hey, Grammys!” Mercedes was beaming.

“Wow,” Rachel whispered in awe.

“Anyway,” Mercedes continued. “I’m definitely returning to LA. Guess I’ll start working on my next album, but I don’t know if I can keep away from the stage for very long. I’m thinking a Christmas concert or something to keep the fans excited.”

Everyone began to talk at once, congratulating her on the successful album and tour. Kurt asked her what themes she hoped to write next, and made suggestions for what songs she would sound great with for the Christmas concert.

“Where did Rachel go?” Mercedes asked suddenly.

“Did she go up to sing?” Tina suggested.

“Maybe she went to the bathroom,” Quinn said. “I’ll go check.”

\------------------------------------

Rachel grasped the edge of the sink in the women’s bathroom, chanting in her head to get a hold of herself. It wasn’t working very well though. She hardly noticed the door swinging open.

Quinn slipped up behind her old friend and wrapped an arm around the other girl. “What’s wrong?” she asked gently.

Rachel sniffed as she lost it; the first tear ran down her cheek, closely followed by a second and a third, until she was pitifully crying.

“It’s not that I resent her, I mean, she’s my friend, but Mercedes…” Rachel sniffed loudly, and Quinn reached into her purse for a tissue.

“Let me guess. Hollywood isn’t as perfect as you thought it would be?” Quinn stated, head slightly tilted in surprise. On Facebook and over the phone, Rachel made her life look sparkling and glamorous. Now the layers were being peeled back.

“Thank you.” Rachel dabbed at her eyes. “Am I a terrible person for being envious?” she sniffed.

“No, not really,” Quinn said. Facing the mirror and talking to the shorter girl through it. “Knowing you, you’re working really hard just like she is.” She sighed. “But sometimes things work out and sometimes they don’t. It isn’t a reflection of your capabilities as a person, it’s not a race to see who succeeds first, you know.”

“I know,” Rachel nodded, blowing her nose again before sighing and leaning against the sink. “It just... this really sucks, you know?”

“Mmhmm.” Quinn pursed her lips. “Like it probably really sucked for Mercedes during senior year when you got cast as Maria.”

“Hey!” Rachel’s eyes flashed with anger as she forcefully threw the tissue into a trash can. “I don’t deserve that. That‘s not the same thing, we were double cast and then she quit.”

“I know,” Quinn said in soothing tones. After Rachel washed and dried her hands, Quinn took one of it in hers. She locked eyes with Rachel over the mirror. “Two incredibly talented women were given an opportunity, and you each reacted differently. Last year you landed the lead in Funny Girl and around the same time, her producers were telling her that they wouldn’t market her album because she wouldn’t show enough skin for cover photos. Now the tables have turned and she is taking off while you are struggling. It doesn’t mean crap. Life has ups and downs and they happen to everyone.”

Quinn handed over another tissue as Rachel began to sniff again. “I-I know…” Rachel stammered. “It’s just… It’s hard. I gave up NYADA for Funny Girl, then I gave up Funny Girl for _Star_. And now _Star_ is not doing very well and I am second-guessing every major decision I’ve made in the last three years. Do you know how that feels? I didn’t let anyone tear me down in high school because I truly believed in myself. And now, it turns out that ‘myself’ isn’t all that after all. I feel like a failure.”

“Rachel Berry, you are not a failure,” Quinn assured, fishing something out of her bag. She began to reapply her lipstick. “I think maybe you’ve just forgotten something.”

“What’s that?”

“Remember senior year, when I went a little crazy?”

Rachel stifled a giggle. “Um, pink hair isn’t the kind of thing a person forgets.”

“You never gave up on me,” Quinn simply stated, casting her eyes downward. “A lot of people did. But you didn’t.”

“You’re my friend, Quinn.”

“And you’re _my_ friend, Rachel.” Facing Rachel, she looked her straight in the eye. “You were there for me when I needed someone, and now I’m here for you. And I’m not the only one. Come in, ‘Cedes.”

Mercedes had obviously been waiting right outside the door. Saying nothing, she pulled Rachel into a massive hug and held her for a while. “I know it’s hard to be in a low place when the people around you are in high places, Rachel,” she said in her ear. “I’ve been there before and I’m sure I’ll be there again. It’s just how life goes. But the important thing is that we don’t give up. I’ll be back in LA now that the tour is done. You’ve got my number and you better use it, girl. I’m not kidding.” She let go and the softened look on Mercedes’ face made Rachel give a watery smile.

She sniffed again. “Thank you, ladies. I don’t know what I would do without friends like you.”

Quinn pulled out yet another tissue from her purse. “Clean up sweetie, we’ve got some karaoke to sing.”

Rachel wiped her eyes and nose one last time. “Yes, ma’am!” she said, linking arms with her friends on either side and grinning broadly. “Let’s go!”

\------------------------------------

Leaving the restroom, Rachel noticed some people staring at her. She was confused at the attention until Mercedes whispered in her ear, "I think they recognize you."

A guy and a girl from a nearby table quickly stood up and approached Rachel, gushing.

“Oh my god! You're Rachel Berry from _Star_!" With the recognition, Rachel’s megawatt grin took over.

The girl's friend nudged her. "And you thought I was crazy!” The guy waved a sassy hand. “You are a NYADA legend, Ms. Berry. I had a class with you two years ago before you left for Broadway. And you are the only living person who stood up to Tibideaux and still became famous!"

“Living perso--?”

"We love you, and we watch, like, every week,” the girl cut in. “Even though it’s kinda cheesy and awful, we really love the characters."

The guy nodded in agreement. "Some of our friends totally hate it, but it’s our guilty pleasure. We love you."

Quinn noticed the attention was cheering her friend up immensely. Dryly, she said, “I suppose you want selfies with her then?”

\------------------------------------

When the girls returned to the table almost fifteen minutes later, Sam and Blaine were locked in a heated discussion while Mike listened with interest. Tina, sitting across them, was leaning forward with her elbows on the table, listening intently. Or at least she would be if they were talking about post-modern feminism. Rather, Quinn noticed, Tina’s attention was all on Mike with her body language clearly spelling “I am flirting with you, you dolt”. Looking ever like the dominant boyfriend, Kurt’s arm was slung around Blaine’s shoulder, although his attention was on the singing rather than the discussion. As the girls drew nearer, they understood why.

“So let me get this straight, you started drawing comics based on the superheroes we played in high school?” Blaine’s eyebrows were furrowed with focus.

“Yeah!” Sam said proudly. “At first it was just for fun, like when I was bored or whatever. But then I posted them on Tumblr and got a lot of notes. People think it’s actually rad! And now I have this fan base, you know? So I keep making more of them. It’s really cool.”

“These stories you’re doing, are they based on real stuff we did?” Tina asked.

“Uh, some of them?” Sam answered. “I mean we did some pretty awesome stuff.”

“Like breaking into Dalton for our nationals trophy?” prompted Blaine. “Or sneaking into McKinley at night?”

“Errr, well, sort of?” Sam shrugged. “I mean the heroes in the comic aren’t high school students, but there is one where they break into a secret lab. And there’s lots of running and capes and an evil macaroni.”

Blaine nodded emphatically. “Capes are good.”

“I’m thinking about adding a new character though,” Sam whispered in a conspiratorial tone as he glanced around the group. “She has a telekinetic singing voice.”

“A what, bro?” Artie said.

“Like, when she talks it’s normal, but when she sings then she can move things and people. Like she can make people fly.”

Rachel’s interest piqued. “Is she based on someone from high school too?”

“Um, well, we didn’t have anyone like that in the club…” Sam stammered as his ears turned pink.

“This is boring,” Santana announced, slamming her cup onto the table, smacking her lips, and sparing Sam from further awkwardness. “I don’t know about you losers, but I came here to drink and then go home and get lucky, and this conversation is killing my sex drive.”

There were a few raised eyebrows as everyone looked at Santana and then at each other. Not that this kind of comment coming from her was a surprise to any of them, but (especially since most of them were here without a date) they hadn’t expected her to be so blunt.

“Oh, guys, I’ve got an awesome song idea,” Sam blurted, breaking the silence. “You all should get up and dance while I sing!”

Soon they were all headed for the dance floor as Sam borrowed a guitar from the band and began to [sing](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxSijiWeiEY).

_ Like the legend of the Phoenix  
All ends with beginnings _

They stood in a little group in the center of the floor. No one else was dancing, and they felt a little self-conscious knowing that everyone was watching them. As the music picked up though Mike grabbed Mercedes’ hand and started to shift back and forth to the beat. Mercedes joined him with a happy smile, letting the rhythm pull her body into motion as well.

 __Last Friday night  
Yeah, we danced on tabletops  
And we took too many shots  
Think we kissed but I forgot

Blaine grinned at Kurt and spun him under his arm. Memories of singing this song in the choir room came back to both of them as they laughed and fell into familiar dance steps. Their relationship was still new in those days, and they had been still shy about touching each other or public displays of affection. Now Kurt’s gentle lips kissed Blaine's ear, chased by a sweet laugh and pulling him closer than they would have dared in high school in Ohio. They danced pressed together, basking in each other’s company and slight tipsiness.

_ We're up all night for good fun  
We're up all night to get lucky _

"Hey baby," Santana whispered in Brittany's ear when they found themselves next to each other in the shifting group of dancers.

“Hey you,” Brittany smiled back. They spun and shimmied together in the press of bodies, their hands frequently sliding along the other’s body as though magnetically attracted. They had grown to love each other during the years when they had danced together in Cheerios routines or alone in the hallways, and something about dancing together always brought them back to those nostalgic times.

_ Glitter all over the room  
Pink flamingos in the pool _

Artie rolled to the center of the group, holding Tina’s hand on one side and Quinn’s on the other. He kept the beat with his shoulders and head, singing along with Sam here and there as the girls grooved beside him. Soon Mike and Mercedes joined their circle, Mike slipping in next to Tina as Mercedes took Quinn’s hand and spun her around with a hoot of laughter.

__ We've come too far to give up who we are  
So let's raise the bar and our cups to the stars  
Last Friday night

Sam grinned wide as he watched his friends dancing. All that ran through his mind was _this_ is how a reunion should be.

\------------------------------------

At the end of an evening full of singing, dancing, drinking, and the revival of endless high school stories, and with several of them at various levels of tiredness or intoxication, the former New Directions poked, joked and giggled as they squished back around their table.

“I’m gonna miss all you guys,” Rachel said with a sniffle. She laid her head on Kurt’s shoulder and giggled some more. “We’ve all gotten so close over the years, and being apart is hard. And we’re all so busy, it could be ages before we all get together again.”

“Not really, we’ll all be seeing each other again in May,” interjected Blaine, then immediately he clapped a hand over his mouth, his ring glinting in the lights as he did. Damn the alcohol. Kurt’s eyes widened. _Is this it?_

“Why? What’s happening in May?” Mercedes asked curiously. Kurt and Blaine stared at each other. A wordless conversation with their eyes took over.

_Now?_

Blaine rolled his eyes. _Let’s do it._

He dropped his hand and grinned. “You wouldn’t want to miss our wedding, would you?” That made Mercedes go completely still and her mouth drop open while Rachel gaped at them.

 _And here we go._ Kurt braced himself for the incoming wave that took form in a loud, tight hug from his best friends that drew the attention of the others.

Tina yanked her attention away from Mike for one of the first times all night. “What’s going on?” she asked.

“I don’t know but I’m already excited!” Sam gleefully joined the noisy Blaine-Kurt-Mercedes-Rachel hug. As he always said, hug first and ask questions later.

“Kurt? Blaine? What--”

“May 31,” Blaine gasped from somewhere near Mercedes’s armpit. “Here in New York.” A pause. It just seemed so final, so concrete for Blaine to say once and for all, “We’re getting married on May 31.”

The patrons of Callbacks were fortunately relieved from a (drunk) rendition of “Don’t Stop Believing” on stage by the shouts of excitement coming from the chaotic table at the back of the room.

  
\------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thank you for reading Glee Season Fix!  
[Help us out by spreading the word and reblogging this on your tumblr? ](http://gleeseasonfix.tumblr.com/post/108486896461/glee-season-fix-reunion-click-here-to-read)

[Episode Stills](http://gleeseasonfix.tumblr.com/post/108353018846/episode-stills-glee-season-fix-reunion)

 

Songs in this episode:

Blaine: Part of Me cover by Darren Criss

Artie: Let Her Go by Passenger

Unholy Trinity/Troubletones: Cheers (Drink to That) by Rihanna

Sam: Get Lucky/Last Friday Night mashup by Chord Overstreet


	4. Midnight City

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It’s Halloween in GSF land and after last week’s Reunion, the boys in NYC would rather have homemade Italian dinner and watch a classic horror movie than go trick or treating in the city that never sleeps. Artie has a way better plan anyway: it’s the perfect opportunity to invite the others to an exclusive reading of his latest stroke of genius: The script to “The Curse of Midnight City” — America’s next fantasy adventure that’s going to revolutionise the film industry! Or… is it?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Episode 4 was written by [ thedementress](http://thedementress.tumblr.com/), [ alwaysfallingforanidea ](http://alwaysfallingforanidea.tumblr.com/) & [ bertagivingopinion ](http://bertagivingopinion.tumblr.com/)  
> Beta by [ HKvoyage ](http://hkvoyage.tumblr.com) & [ surrithehobbit ](http://surrithehobbit.tumblr.com/)  
> & [ awkwardanne4 ](http://awkwardanne4.tumblr.com/)  
> Special thanks to the entire GSF team who helped us out when we thought we couldn't pull through. 
> 
> Disclaimer: This is a work of fanfiction. All the characters and backstories belong to Glee and its creators.  
> Glee Season Fix (“GSF”) was written independently of spoilers about Glee Season 6. If songs or plots overlap, it’s due to coincidence or nature of the storylines that need resolution.
> 
> Like on the show, GSF also includes songs and performances. Since this episode explores supernatural and mysterious themes, we particularly recommend you to listen to the songs while reading. It will set the mood. Inspiration for the title was the song [ Midnight City by M83](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2hZYqjfZXPI)
> 
> VERY IMPORTANT:  
> Midnight City is not your regular GSF episode. We tried to do something different this time. Even though "in reality" the location stays the same, we wanted to incorporate as many characters through Artie's script, an alternative universe, so to speak. You'll hopefully get used to the format pretty quickly. We used a colour scheme (Black for reality, Blue for script AU) and inserted screenshots which is why THIS version of episode 4 will only work on your computer. If you want to download and read on a mobile devise, use [ THIS VERSION ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/3168407/chapters/7036982). But if you want the full AU-experience, then you may want to consider reading this one on a bigger screen. 
> 
> Warnings: As this is our Halloween Special, one of the musical numbers, Disturbia, might not be for the faint-hearted. ;)

HALLOWEEN 2014

\-----------------------------------

New York City

\-----------------------------------

“Blaine?”

“Yes?”

“Why are there pumpkin guts on our ceiling?”

Blaine joined Kurt’s gaze at the area above the kitchen. An overly enthusiastic pulling of pulp had caused that, he surmised. Blaine gave a sheepish smile before turning back to his pumpkin.

“I wanted to surprise you with jack o’ lanterns of each of us,” he said while Kurt moved around the apartment to set his bags and coat aside. When Blaine had texted him in class that he was going back home early, Kurt could only imagine what his fiancé had up in his sleeve. Unfortunately for Blaine, Kurt had arrived home early as well. _I should have known,_ Kurt thought, _the handmade puppets foreshadowed this._

As Kurt moved in for a kiss on Blaine’s cheek, he withdrew quickly. A sticky, fleshy pumpkin seed had already gotten there first.

“Did the reunion have anything to do with this idea?” Kurt sighed, ripping out sheets of paper towel to begin cleaning up the mess. He had been looking forward to a comfortable evening  of finishing his homework for his Speech III (Accents) class before the gang arrived with their share of Halloween fare, wine, and a horror movie for the night. The suggestion of going trick or treating hung in the air until the chilly weather marched in. So a much needed night-in of relaxation from college work was agreed upon.

That said, Blaine wanted to decorate the apartment for the holiday. “A little,” he said, swiping his cheek with his shoulder. “It felt like being in the New Directions family all over again with the stories and the microphone hoarding. And then it reminded me of when Coop and I were kids. We had this Halloween tradition of carving a pumpkin of our favorite TV show character of the year. We kind of stopped after the year when Coop carved out his own face.” Kurt nodded, understanding.

“All right,” Kurt said, throwing away the last of the mess and washing his hands. “I’m going to help.”

“Really?” Blaine perked up. That smile of his was irresistible to Kurt in so many ways. Kurt rolled his eyes fondly and stared down at the remaining three untouched pumpkins and the candles still in their packaging.

“Yes, but first,” running over to the speaker set, Kurt snapped in his phone and picked out a song. “A sing-a-long.” As the opening haunting notes breathed a playful darkness into their apartment, Blaine laughed at the familiarity and felt like a kid again. Joining him, Kurt picked out a pumpkin and a knife.

And they [sang](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xpvdAJYvofI&feature=youtu.be&t=47s).

 _Boys and girls of every age,  
_ _Wouldn’t you like to see something strange_

Blaine picked up the pumpkin he was working on and held it over his face to mock-frighten Kurt, who snorted at the way Blaine was swaying to the song.

 _It's our town, everybody scream_  
_In this town of Halloween_

Pumpkins momentarily forgotten, the couple chased each other around the kitchen, making faces and singing raucously. They were so absorbed in the spirit of Halloween that they didn’t notice the apartment door open and close with a snap.  
  
_This is Halloween, this is Halloween_  
_Halloween! Halloween! Halloween! Halloween!_

Pumpkins completely forgotten, Blaine and Kurt synced up for a spontaneous performance to the song. Back to back, arms crossed, eyes sparkling, they continued to exchange lines.   
  
_That's our job,_ Blaine sang.  
_But we're not mean,_ Kurt finished.  
And together, _in our town of Halloween_

Ending with a spin, they fell to the ground amidst giggling, knowing how absolutely ridiculous they looked right now. It’s a good thing that no one saw--

“Oh. Hi, Sam. When did you get here?”

Sam turned from the TV to check the heavily-breathing boys with an amused look. A whole night of getting up from the couch to hand out candy to kids and adults in Frozen costumes at Ohio wasn’t exactly his idea of Halloween, so Sam decided to extend his stay in New York. And when you stay around in Bushwick, walking in on his two friends, sometimes in much more compromising situations, is something one is already used to. Also when did he get that beer from the fridge?

“Boo,” he cheekily replied, turning his attention back to Hoarders. Smiling, he saw that nothing has changed in the apartment.

 

\-----------------------------------------

 

Artie arrived at the Hummel-Anderson loft around 8 o’clock, and explained that Mike could not make it as he was part of the “Rocky Horror Picture Show” campus community performance that night. With the freshly carved pumpkins all lined up in a row as the table’s centerpiece, Blaine grinned as Artie snickered at his pumpkin; it had aluminum foil wheels and wire glasses. Sam’s pumpkin simply had a little toy lightsaber carefully glued to it. They’d light them later before their annual rewatch of “The Shining”.

Over lasagna and a mountain of garlic bread that made for a delicious Halloween dinner, Artie announced his ideal evening plans to the rest.

“Guys, let’s do a table read of my script.” Everyone groaned.

“Artie, we just did that last week.” Kurt complained. “What’s wrong with it now?”

“It just didn’t feel right,” Artie said. “The romance felt forced and the dolphin metaphor didn’t work. So I scrapped it and wrote a new one.”

Sam had his head in his hands. “No more table reads,” he muttered in an overly whiny tone, pretending to be equally as annoyed.

“This one will be fun, I promise,” Artie said. “It’s a fantasy story with creatures and everything. It’s right up your alley, Sam.” 

“I was totally just joking, man. It’s not like I have to endure this every week. I dig creatures and fantasy and everything. But first…,” Sam paused to shove an impressive amount of lasagna into his mouth, “I have an empty stomach to fill.”

Kurt and Blaine nodded mutely, partly in awe of the amount of Italian pasta hamstered away in Sam’s cheeks, but mostly wanting to spare Artie’s feelings by not expressing their utmost reluctance.

When the dishes had all been cleared away, Artie pulled out a thick script from his bag. “I already sent digital copies to your email accounts, so you can pull it up from there,” he said matter-of-factly and waited for everyone to retrieve their electronical devices.

  
“All right, let’s begin,” Artie said in his most businesslike tone.

\------------------------------------------------------------------

“Hey, what’s that supposed to mean?”

Artie coughed and pushed on.

\------------------------------------------------------------------

[ ](http://de.tinypic.com?ref=28am0kz)

\------------------------------------------------------------------

“Why does Blaine get to be a knight?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about, Sam. It’s _Sir Blaise_. ”

\------------------------------------------------------------------

\------------------------------------------------------------------

“Just what have you been drinking, Artie?” Kurt asked, slightly exasperated.

Artie just waved him off and continued reading. Before he could get another word in, the Skype ringtone from Kurt’s laptop on the table rang. Being closest, Sam clicked ‘answer’ and Santana’s devilish face filled the screen. Artie internally groaned. Just the person he needed, he thought miserably.

“Hello, everyone!” Santana chirped. Sam, Kurt, and Blaine waved at her, looking rather relieved. Her grin held sweet promises on what looks like is going to be an interesting night. She turned to Sam.

“So I saw on Facebook that you’re still staying over with the guys…” she began. “And I still have a few more name suggestions for the new glee club you’re running,” she said.

“I’m not running The Vibratos.”

“Santana, we were in the middle of--” but Santana cut Artie off.

She ahem’d. “Eargasm, Vocal Stimulation, Aural Titillation, The Dil Do Re Mi… Want more?”

“No,” Artie said curtly, ignoring the chokes of laughter around him. “We are in the middle of a very important table read.” He flapped his script for her to see. Santana then became unusually quiet.

 A pause, and then, “All right. I’ll listen.” She sat back and leaned against her bed’s headboard with an innocent smile.

“You mean you won’t go away?” Artie dryly said with a hint of a beg underneath. She shook her head.

“This should be interesting,” she said, unaware that she had voiced out loud everyone else’s thoughts that moment.

Artie sighed. He had to muster all his remaining determination and strength to go on as dealing with Santana could be mentally draining. He recited:

_“‘Boldly face the Guardians of the Earth’,”_ Samuel muttered irritably. “That wizard could have just said ‘enter the damn forest’.” He was hacking at stray branches with his mace while trying to avoid the bow on his back from snagging pesky trees. Sir Blaise, garbed in chainmail and suited with a breastplate and helmet, took up the rear.

The knight cleared his head and tried to recount the day; all three of them were standing in the middle of a beautiful English garden earlier this morning with no recollection of how they got there and how they could return home. Seated on a bench in the middle of the garden, as though he has been waiting for them all along, had been--

“King Fitzwilliams said that a prophecy was sent to him that the realm’s curse will be broken with the help of three young men,” Sir Blaise replied. He poked at a thick root with his longsword. “And that he was to repeat it when the time has come.

In the thick of the dark that surrounded them, Arthur’s voice called out. “Squires, I have found the river!”

Samuel and Sir Blaise made their way to Arthur’s side, joining him in pondering how to cross the shimmering ice blue water. The stone bridge that stood farther down the river was useless; a large portion of its middle had crumbled to the water.

“Maybe if my beast and I could jump…” Artie began by directing his liger to the bridge, but at that moment, a ghostly figure surrounded by a halo of green light rose up from the water, causing the men to quickly draw their weapons. They couldn’t tell whether it was a good spirit or a bad one.

An unearthly beauty appeared before them; white blonde hair, wide hazel eyes, and slim ears that pointed at the top. Her neck and arms also seemed longer than an average human’s. While she seemed to shimmer with strength and power, a sense of sadness softened her facial features.

\------------------------------------------------------------------

“Oh, come on!” Santana snapped from her screen, holding up a glass of wine she had poured herself for the occasion, and jolting Artie out of his focus. “You could have done so much better.”

The boy director sighed heavily. “And how would you have done it, Santana?” he spat back. But the question made the girl’s eyes sparkle and sit up straighter. She then grabbed her tablet from her bedside table and began to slide and scan the screen.

“Okay Hitchcock-on-wheels, we’re at the faery part now, right?”

“How did you even get the script?!

“Sir Bowtie just emailed it to me.”

Artie glared at Blaine, who was clutching his own tablet and smiled with a unique combination of charm and apology. 

Raising her voice a little louder, Santana said, “Let me see... Now imagine Quinn is our faery and our ‘river’ is the swimming pool in McKinley where Kurt peed in freshman year.”

“Get on with it, Tana.”

\------------------------------------------------------------------

They looked at each other, wondering if they all felt the nervous chill that just ran down their spines. Sir Blaise sighed, “What is the riddle, my Aquatic Lady?”

A pause. And then the water faery said, “Which beef bowl with a side of buttered homo still owes me ten bucks for the cab ride after the reunion last weekend?”

\------------------------------------------------------------------

“Santana! I told you I’d pay you back next time!” Kurt hollered.

\------------------------------------------------------------------

The travelers answered correctly. A magical wave of Quaint’s hand brought forth a boat to the pool surface, large enough to fit six people in. With the faery standing at the bow, Arthur and his liger behind her, and Sir Blaise and Samuel at the stern to balance everyone out, the boat stayed where it was.

Then Quaint opened her mouth to [sing ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHjuN0kXYzI)a hauntingly slow, melodic song that filled the echoing room with a magical air, prompting the boat to glide forward silently across the pool.

_ Breath air you're not used to  _  
_ Tread floors, you don't fall through_

Where are you taking us?” Arthur asked, stroking the liger’s head to soothe its anxiety for not being on solid land.

_ And I'll hold my breath, I'll hold my breath  _

_“To the next part of your journey,”_ the three men (and liger) heard from the inside of their head to their surprise.

Sir Blaise tapped Arthur’s shoulder. “I do remember a legend about a water faery my dad told me. If a man successfully rides her boat, (“Wanky,” Sam imitated in Santana’s tone.) she will take you to the entrance of a maze...”

_ Tell me that we're still too young and I'll hold my tongue.  _

“...and the keeper of the maze is her lover who turned into a monster.”

_ Between me leaving and the news _  
_ We'll dance alone between the trees_  
_ You are the shifter of my shape_  
_ We're making sense of our escape  
We'll dance, we'll blow them all away _

\------------------------------------------------------------------

“That’s it?” Artie said aloud, staring at cyber-Santana in disbelief.

“I dunno, Artie. Santana’s version is actually getting good.” Blaine said, scratching the back of his neck. As the story began to get more interesting (and music was always a bonus), the boys had unconsciously edged closer to Santana.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------

[ ](http://de.tinypic.com?ref=2hrz50i)

 

The leaves and running water fell silent, as though waiting for her answer with bated breath. “Free the Golden Bird,” she finally said. “And the curse will be broken. And then I will be…” she sighed, almost longingly. “Reunited with my love at long last. You will have to cross his terrain on your journey, but avoid him if you want to make it out alive. Good fortune to you, sires!” And with another blinding glow of light, she disappeared into the bottom of the pool.

  
\------------------------------------------------------------------

Kurt gave a low whistle. “I expected unadulterated bitchiness in your version but,” he remarked,  leaning back on to the sofa and taking a sip of his soda. “that turned out pretty epic.”

Santana responded with a little bow and a sarcastic grin. She looked way too pleased at herself. “Did you hear that, Abrams? Maybe you could learn something from me,” she said with a wink, making herself extra comfortable on the bed and taking another gulp of wine.

“Trap it, Lopez. I highly doubt it,” Artie tossed back. “Moving on to the next obstacle.” He flipped two pages forward while the others slid down with their digital copies. “The entrance to the maze of the beastly Minotaur,” he announced

 “A what?” said Sam.

“A Minotaur. Part man, part bull - from Greek mythology,” supplied Blaine. “He was the monster of a labyrinth...a maze. And apparently Quinn’s- I mean, _Quaint’s_ lost love.”

Sam fell quiet, looking thoughtful. And the second right before Artie was going to push through with the reading, the blond said, “Can Puck be the Minotaur? And the maze McKinley halls?”

“Sam!”

Kurt’s laptop speakers emitted a loud, gleeful cackle. “You take this one, Trouty,” Santana shouted. Her smirk only got wider as Artie threw his hands up in the air in exasperation.

Sam grinned. “Awesome! Now let’s get this _spooky..._ ”

\------------------------------------------------------------------

 

The hallways were dark and echoed with every step. At every corner they expected to find the Minotaur or a door to a further room, but they kept returning to the start. Another detour simply took them to a hallway that wasn’t supposed to be there, like how one opens the fridge to find their missing cat inside. It would make sense that a cat could have gotten inside, but cats do not belong inside refrigerators or any electric appliances.

The three boys stuck close together while walking down the corridors whose overhead lights flickered on and off. Flickering shadows came alive, giving the impression that each shadow danced and kicked their way closer to them. It was akin to walking down a hallway peppered with Weeping Angels, but no one was getting time-misplaced. Fog swirled at ankle level and the boys constantly jumped at a loud bang or a distant roar of a beast.

As Sir Blaise and Arthur began to harmonize a beat, Samuel [sang](http://youtu.be/E1mU6h4Xdxc?t=22s),

_ What's wrong with me?_  
_ Why do I feel like this?_  
_ I'm going crazy now_  


Metal banging came from the inside of the lockers as well as hissing and clawing sounds. Passing an open door, red light filled the shabby science classroom as leather-clad and puppet-chained-to-the-ceiling Cheerios writhed and jerked around in torture. All heads turned towards them, and before Samuel, Arthur, and Sir Blaise could find out what was going to happen next, they made a run for it.  


_ It can creep up inside you and consume you_  
_ A disease of the mind, it can control you_  


They ran past an empty hallway that dead-ended with a pair of twins holding hands in Cheerio uniforms. A broken pair of headphones lay at their feet. 

_ Throw on your brake lights, you're in the city of wonder_  
_ Ain’t gon’ play nice, watch out you might just go under_  


As the fog crawled across their feet, they held each other close as they approached another long corridor. At the far end, the door to the principal’s office banged open and a long, hairy spider leg slowly unfolded from the office. 

Nope.   


They bolted in the opposite direction.  


_ Disturbia, am I scaring you tonight?_  


They ran towards the room they thought would be the safest. But upon crashing through the door of the dark choir room, they stopped dead in their tracks.

A limp Rachel was lying on a bed, wires attached to all her pulse areas. The bed was mounted on a platform that steadily rotated for the doctors standing around in plague masks, black robes, and old fashioned clipboards to observe. A big screen was in place of the whiteboard where it flashed depressing scenes from her life. But Rachel was singing,

_ Release me from this curse I'm in_  
_ Trying to maintain but I'm struggling_  


Only when the doctors turn and stared at the intruders through the dark holes of their plague mask did the travelers freak out and backed slowly to the choir room door. Blood pounded in their ears as they ran out and kept running for their lives.

_ Disturbia, am I scaring you tonight?_  
_ Disturbia, ain't used to what you like_  
_ Disturbia, disturbia_  


A right turn, left, down the hall then to another left, the boys kept running, desperate for a way out of this disturbing nightmare. After doubling back down did they finally see the exit; a janitor's closet. The light that glowed from it was a stark contrast of the hellish darkness they were running from. The portal was made up of a white light that only good magic can create. So close now. Just twenty more feet.

“Where do you think you’re going?” a deep voiced suddenly sneered.

They skidded to a stop, panting. The guardian of the maze had appeared. A mohawked Minotaur blocked the illuminated door.

_ Bum bum be dum bum bum de dum dum_

“You’ll have to fight me to escape my labyrinth,” Noah Puckasaurus growled. Everyone else drew their weapons; Arthur had his katana, Sir Blaise his trusty longsword, and Samuel with his lightsaber, the new 2014 trailer version. 

  
\------------------------------------------------------------------

“Really, Sam?” Artie said, looking up from his script. “We discussed the functionality and aesthetics about this last week already.” Sam sighed.

“Artie, it just really makes sense that--”

“Can we not do this again?” Blaine said, holding out a placatory hand. “You’ve already made your positions clear. Artie is nah, Sam is yeah. Let’s move on.”

\------------------------------------------------------------------

“How do you believe that you can kill me,” Noah beat a fist against his chest and lowered his horns, as though ready to charge at any moment. “The Minotaur, the great beast of the McKinley Labyrinth?”

“We don’t have to!” Samuel yelled, but keeping his guard up. “A… water faery awaits your return. She said you haven’t been returning her calls.” He paused briefly before saying, “Quaint still loves you. She’s waiting for you outside the maze.”

Arthur frowned. “Samuel, that’s not going to work,” he hissed.

“She is?” Noah asked, dropping his shoulders and his arms. Sir Blaise and Arthur placed a disbelieving hand over their faces. "Where is she?"

Samuel jerked a thumb over his shoulder. "Down the hall, to the left. She should be by the entrance of the pool," he said.

"Right, cool," Noah nodded. His monster features began to disappear; his horns receded and his hooves turned back into fingers and toes. “Thanks, dude.” He loped off to where Samuel directed, after slapping his arm in gratitude in a dudebro way that made the blond squire slam into the wall from the strength. The last they saw of the Minotaur was his bare ass turning the corner of the hallway.

And that’s how future generations will hear over campfires and twinkies, how three brave men defeated the Minotaur and exited the labyrinth without a scratch. And that true love was their greatest weapon of all.  


\------------------------------------------------------------------

"I want to hate it but I don't. I really don't," Santana commented first. Sam squinted and concluded that it was an actual sincere grin on her face.

"Thanks, Santana," Sam grinned back, looking pleased. “Who wants to go next?”

“I assume, I, the writer and director, can’t go next?” Artie said dryly. But if anyone observed closely, a small smile betrayed his words. He was obviously enjoying hearing his friends, who were more musically inclined than storytelling inclined, come up with stories too.

“Guys, _Prince Kuno_ is getting a little bored around here,” Kurt sing-songed.

“Can I?” Blaine raised his hand and waited for permission to go on. At everyone’s nods, he beamed and scrolled down his script. “But I really like this fantasy world, so I think I’ll stay there. Kurt? Hands off me. We’re gonna get to you in a second,” he added in a distracted tone to an impatient and bored Kurt.

 _“Fine,”_ Kurt sighed and retreated his hands from under the table where he had tried to tickle his fiancés left knee.

“Okay, next obstacle is the-”

\----------------------------------------------------------------------

“-mermaid lagoon.” Sir Blaise stood at the lip of the beach, reading a wooden board sign that warned men about encountering sirens, water-beings who lure men to their deaths with their gift of song.

“Maybe if we walk quietly, the mermaids won’t find us,” Arthur suggested. The three walked slowly, exhausted from all their running. They drank in the sunshine, ever so thankful for the blue sky after the horrors of the maze.

They froze. The voice was female, a little husky with a whole lot of sex appeal. They were terrified to turn around but there was something persuasive in the voice that made them look.

She had beautiful dark flowing beach hair and sun-kissed skin. Half of her tail was lazing underwater as her chest and folded arms rested comfortably on a rock. But the most prominent feature of this mermaid was the sexy, man-eating grin she had on.

\------------------------------------------------------------------

“Oh my god, I’m totally the mermaid, aren’t I?” Santana said excitedly, nearly splashing herself with her drink. “I’m so getting a topless, sexy mermaid tattoo. Don’t give me a stupid name, Blaine!”

“I’ll try. Love you too, Tana. But not more than _this_ guy next to me.”

“Love you too, bro.”

“He wasn’t talking about _you_ , Sam.”

\------------------------------------------------------------------

“H-hi. May we help you?” Samuel stuttered. He swallowed hard. Her magic was coming on strong.

“Yes, you may,” the mermaid said. She rose to a sitting position, baring her front that was barely hidden by her long hair. “I’m Sardina and I am a little famished.”

“No, please! Don’t eat us!” Artie cried. But Sardina  _(“You suck, Blaine Anderson,” Santana said, looking betrayed.)_ had already [dropped](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_1aF54DO60) her hook, line, and sinker.

_ I've seen the world_  
_ Done it all_  
_ Had my cake now_  
_ Diamonds, brilliant_  


Sir Blaise blinked. Was he supposed to feel different? Wasn’t he supposed to feel a surging desperation to swim to the mermaid? He looked around at his companions. Arthur was trying hard to fight off the magic by covering his ears and talking to himself. However Samuel had been caught; his eyes glazed over and he started to walk towards Sardina and his death.  


_ Will you still love me_  
_ When I'm no longer young and beautiful?_  


"No! Samuel, no!" Sir Blaise yelled, trying to hold back his friend but failing. Samuel continued to walk, then waded into the sea. His heart felt like it was soaring. No straight man could successfully resist the seductive call of a mermaid, especially this particular mermaid who has a record of eating hundreds of men. Her finger beckoned him to come, the deep sadness in her song acting as a powerful reel to men who believe deep in their hearts that they could be the one to bring happiness and pleasure back into her life.

_ Please let me bring my man_  
_ When he comes tell me that you'll let him in_  


“Arthur, help me,” Sir Blaise begged. “Samuel’s going to die!” But Arthur had his hands firmly clamped over his ears and his eyes screwed shut. But even if he succumbed to the mermaid’s song, he wouldn’t have made it there because his liger was focused on cleaning its own paw. A mermaid’s song does not work on animals.

"Transform, Samuel! Use your power," Sir Blaise shouted, holding Arthur's liger back just in case.

"Transform?" Samuel repeated dizzily. With amazing strength, Sardina carried him out from the water and into her arms. The moment she touched him, Samuel snapped out of his trance. He let out a scream of horror as he watched the mermaid transform into a vicious and fanged creature. Flailing away wasn't an option as Sardina pinned his arms. Instinct took over, and Samuel transformed into the prettiest girl he ever saw back home.

Sardina felt her victim shrink and when she held him out to see, her entire face blushed.

"Hi! My name is Britney. Single T with an E," Samuel said, matching the village girl’s voice perfectly.

"It's working!" Sir Blaise whispered happily at Arthur.

"What's your name?" Samuel-Britney asked, cocking her head to the side.

"Sa-Sardina," the mermaid stuttered. Realizing that she was still holding the newly-transformed, beautiful blonde in her arms, she blushed furiously and set her aside. Sardina frantically finger-combed her hair in an attempt to make herself look presentable.

“You’re like, really pretty,” Britney said. She ran her fingers through a clump of Sardina’s hair. And smelled it. “You smell like a dolphin. And that’s cool cause I like dolphins.”

“Yeah?” Sardina said. “Want to go for a swim? I can show you my dolphin friends.” Sardina had taken her hand and was about to pull her into the water before Britney pulled her back.

 “Not yet. I have a quest, you see. But it’s a secret,” Britney said, shyly. Then leaning over to Sardina’s ear, she whispered, “I’m looking for a Golden Bird. Do you know where I can find it? My friends are in trouble and I really want to help them. Could you please help me?”

In a perfect twist of irony, Sardina was hooked. Staring into Britney’s wide blue eyes was a wonderful reminder of her vast ocean. Her eyes were home and there was nothing Sardina could refuse this girl.

“It’s in this castle. The new queen has captured it. Free the Golden Bird and the curse will be broken,” Sardina found herself saying. She placed a wet hand to caress Britney’s face. “You’ll come back for me, won’t you?”

Britney's face brightened, nodding her head full of enthusiasm and promise. "I will," she said. "I like being with you. You don't laugh at me like the others do. Thank you, Sardina." And to seal the deal, Britney kissed Sardina's hand and squeezed it in her own. With Sardina's lovestruck eyes on her back, she swam to shore and did not transform back into Samuel until they were out of her sight.

\------------------------------------------------------------------

“Did you enjoy my story, Santana?” Blaine finally said, smiling expectantly at the laptop.

“I was planning to introduce you to the business end of my stilettos for the name. I’ll let you live this one time, hobbit,” Santana declared. A half empty bottle of wine stood on her nightstand.

“Guess that means yes. I’ll continue then,” Blaine said with a smirk at his fiancé.

\------------------------------------------------------------------

[ ](http://de.tinypic.com?ref=kf2zxe)

“How are we supposed to find the bird in there? This place is huge!” Arthur whistled, staring up at the stone walls and towering spires. “And I’m not sure if animals are allowed inside.”

“The Golden Bird is allowed inside,” Samuel pointed out.

“We don’t even know if the Golden Bird is a real bird,” Sir Blaise countered.

The castle that once carried splendor and grandeur was somewhat unrecognizable with its new features such as ugly sharp spikes off on the walls. It was heavily rumored that a three-headed dog guarded its doors and an All-Seeing Eye named The Beckinator lived inside the castle. Above the walls were strings of lights and colorful banners around the courtyard’s trees, a small reprieve from the intimidating metal gear. The sounds of a band rehearsing and the clattering of plates and silverware came from behind the walls.

As Sir Blaise scanned the perimeter for a way to sneak in, the slap of shoes against a stone staircase hidden by trees and other sprawling greenery put the boys on high alert. After Minotaurs and mermaids, they could not afford to be careless. Weapons out and ready, they awaited their next opponent. But it was only a tall man who stopped three steps before the ground and held his hands up and an innocent expression. The tree’s shadow obscured his features.

“Stop,” the man said. “I heard you talk about the Golden Bird. I know where it is. I can help.”

“Who are you? Present yourself,” Sir Blaise commanded. The man dropped his arms and walked into the light. When the sunlight casted over his features, all breath flew from Sir Blaise’s lungs. God, he was beautiful!

And princely. Oh crap, it’s Prince Kuno. It’s Prince Kuno and his perfect hair.

“Forgive us, Your Highness,” Sir Blaise bowed quickly, followed by Samuel and Arthur.

\------------------------------------------------------------------

“Quiet everyone, I’m taking over!” Kurt announced.

\------------------------------------------------------------------

Dressed in an impeccably tailored suit with a brocade cravat and gold rhino pin, Prince Kuno studied the men before him, especially the curly-haired knight.

Each took their turn in telling parts of their journey. They told of the beauty of the water faery, the nightmare of the labyrinth, and the lesbian, man-eating mermaid.

Prince Kuno listened intently. He spoke, “Manners have taught me that I should invite you in for a cup of tea, a meal, and perhaps a warm bed. But I’m afraid I cannot.” He hardened his facial features and Sir Blaise saw a spark of fire behind his eyes. “Queen Kama Suetra has forbidden me to entertain visitors ever since I surrendered the castle to her. She will not risk it being dethroned by her detractors. But that’s not the worst thing she has done. Look at that!” He waved an irritated hand at the heads mounted on spikes at the top of the tallest tower. “I’m a fan of skull patterns as much as the next person, but this is ridiculous.”

“That’s why we’re here, Your Highness. We want to free this Golden Bird and help you reclaim your throne,” Sir Blaise said, running a hand through his hair. “It would be our greatest honor to assist you in this task.” He bowed to present the honor of his promise.

“Oh, there are other things you can definitely assist me with,” Prince Kuno said.

“What would that be, Your Highness?”

“You have not told me your name,” Prince Kuno said, smirking.

Sir Blaise stood proud, ramrod straight. “I am Sir Blaise, Knight of the House of Anderson with the warbler as our sigil,” he said. “May I present my companions Arthur and Samuel.” The two bowed, grateful for the distance between them and Sir Blaise, as Prince Kuno’s heated stare at their knight was beginning to get a tad uncomfortable.

“I am Kuno, prince of Kingdom Dalton.” Prince Kuno took a step closer. “A warbler, huh?” Sir Blaise nodded, curious to why Prince Kuno would be interested in the warbler. “Your sigil should be a tree because I would plant you right here and now.”

Arthur and Samuel took a step back and regarded the grass with the deep fascination it deserved for being so green and lush.

“I…” Sir Blaise was crimson.

\------------------------------------------------------------------

Most especially in real life.

“Are you okay, Blaine?” Artie stifled a guffaw threatening to erupt, but failed. He tried to fashion a concerned face as his friend sounded like he was choking on his own tongue.

Blaine nodded quickly and tried to cough his fluster away. He also loosened his skull patterned bowtie as Kurt smirked in triumph.

"Wanky," Santana said, clapping. She looked so impressed.  "I am so proud, Kurt."

\------------------------------------------------------------------

"Hold on, can you explain what this Golden Bird thing is anyway?" Samuel broke the thickening tension between the men. “We’ve heard about it and,” he chuckled. “We have no idea what it is. Or _does._ ”

Prince Kuno considered his question, purposely ignoring Sir Blaise’s sputtering. “Kama Suetra, my political advisor, captured a bird that I let roam freely around the castle. Pavarotti is a unique bird with all sorts of magical properties and a soothing singing voice.” He sighed. “Pav was meant to be free and bring joy to everyone in need, so when Suetra locked him in this magical cage, it set upon a curse called the ‘Midnight City’, where people are turned into monsters and dark fears control everyone at every corner. My people are against me. No one can be trusted and no one is safe.

“Release Pav and the Midnight City curse will be broken. Keep Pav caged any longer and Queen Kama Suetra will take over the entire realm.”

The prince was thinking. He continued, “I have a plan and with your help it might succeed. I could try to sneak you in. After sundown, you,” he pointed at Arthur and the liger, “will have to knock out some of the patrolling guards. You,” now pointing at Sam. "Will be the lookout. Make sure Suetra does not wake or The Beckinator see us. And you," he turned a cocked eyebrow to Sir Blaise. "Will wait with me in my chambers until it’s time. That is absolutely essential to the plan."

"Can we wait in your chambers too?" Samuel said. Prince Kuno's swift, sharp glare was all the reply he needed. No one else dared to say anything as Prince Kuno said, "Follow me," and placed a hand on Sir Blaise’s shoulder to lead him away.

  
“Not that I’m not enjoying myself, I-I mean I truly am, but we have a bird to resc--oh my god.” Sir Blaise whimpered underneath Prince Kuno’s passionate work on his neck.

\------------------------------------------------------------------

“Down, Hummel. I wrote this movie with a PG-13 rating in mind,” Artie warned. Kurt wrinkled his forehead and conceded.

\------------------------------------------------------------------

When Prince Kuno brought the knight to his bed chambers to wait till nightfall, the prince wanted to make the best of his waiting time. They were seated on a velvet couch in front of the fire and were listening for the deep, loud roar of Arthur’s liger from outside the window, which would act as their signal that Suetra’s guards were knocked out and The Beckinator distracted with someone hot. With Prince Kuno’s hand underneath his shirt (armor discarded near the door), Sir Blaise wasn’t sure he would be able to hear anything else, much less the signal, amidst a lot of moaning.

“Promise me that you’ll take me away from here after you’ve freed Pav,” Prince Kuno said in hushed tones.

“But why? You live in a castle! You’ll be king someday.”

Prince Kuno scowled. “Have you not seen Dalton’s courtyard? Suetra arranged a marriage between me and _both_ of her daughters and expects me to consummate it right afterwards,” he said. “Tina and Mercedes are sweet girls, but they don’t deserve me. I like men, for gods sake. Is it wrong to want romance?

_ Knock knock. _

“No, no, it isn’t wrong,” Sir Blaise quickly assured, taking his hand in his.

_ Knock knock knock._

Prince Kuno ignored the determined knocking and carried on with his ministrations. The door opened anyway and a blonde girl sauntered in.

The prince sighed and sat up. “Yes, Brit?” His eyes narrowed at the interruption and did not see Sir Blaise’s jaw dropping. It was the village girl Samuel impersonated earlier.

“I smelled rainbows and wanted to ask if you needed protection,” she said, folding her hands and smiling sweetly.

Kuno sighed, “Blaise, my handmaiden Britney.” She curtsied. Sir Blaise had to blink away the lust to fully understand what the prince had just said. So he gave a half-hearted wave and an embarrassed smile. “Do you have anything to report, Brit? As you can see I was about to _fertilize my garden_ here."

“Kuno, there’s a half-lion, half-tiger roaring in the throne room with a man on its back,” she began to rattle off. “This other boy is shooting arrows at Queen Kama Suetra's minions. It doesn’t seem like they’re winning… Anyways, I think they’re trying to get to Pav. Huh, did I feed Pav today?”

Kuno immediately stood up to grab his sword from the coat rack. “Why didn’t we hear the signal?” he shouted in panic.

“Gee, why didn’t we?” Blaise muttered, pulling his boots back on.

\------------------------------------------------------------------

“Now that we’re entering the climax of the story,” Artie said, stopping Kurt with a hand. “May I do the honors?” Kurt sat back on the sofa and nodded.

“Right, now I’m just going to use our real names because this is getting ridiculous…” Everyone laughed in agreement and leaned forward. All excited eyes fell on Artie now.

\------------------------------------------------------------------

The battle had begun.

War cries, metal hitting metal, and the smell of sweat and blood overwhelmed the senses of Blaine and Kurt. While Blaine ran off to help Sam, Kurt unsheathed his saber and not so much as charged but brisk-walked into the fray and chucked his shoulder at opposing fighters in his way, slashing and stabbing if necessary. His focus was on Sue, who was viciously clawing anyone's face who attempted to fight her or fight for her.

"Sue!" Kurt yelled, placing a hand on hip as he stopped a few feet away from her. “I want my House, my throne, my bird, and my silk bathrobes back!” His former political advisor lashed a long snake tongue at him. He scowled. “You know it’s always gross when you do that,” he said. Raising his sword, he added, “So, it’s going to be this way?”

Sue responded with a presentation of her sharp claws. The pair drew nearer and the clash of forged metal against impenetrable claws green-lighted the war over the throne.

Adrenaline powered Kurt's slashes and defensive strategies. It wasn't easy fighting someone who had something like ten tiny swords as their fingers against one long sword. Kurt brought up a leg to kick which Sue swatted away, nearly unbalancing him.

Kurt parried a strike from Sue, panting. He wasn’t going to give up the right to his throne that easily, he just bedazzled it last week. In a moment of distraction, he had not seen Sue’s kick to the chest and oof, down he went to the floor. Her swordpoint was within an inch of his chin.

“Admit it, Snow Gay, I’m a better ruler than you’ll ever be,” she flatly said. “Village morale is higher than ever and the demand for peasant-made pet wipes has reached the other kingdoms. I. _Rule._ ”

“So what are the spiked heads for?” Kurt gritted out, trying to rub some relief on to his chest.

“I need to feed my crows,” Sue said, as a matter of fact. As she raised her sword, more than itching to bring down the final blow, she froze. She couldn’t believe what she saw. The Golden Bird had fluttered on top of Kurt’s head and nestled comfortably in his hair.

“BRITTANY!” Sue furiously roared and strode back to the cage next to the throne.

The prince brought a hand up to pet the bird. “Hi, Pav,” he said, smiling and relieved that it’s all over. Back at the throne, Sue was spitting angry.

“He was hungry and needed lady cuddles,” Brittany explained patiently against her wrath. When Sue meant to grab the cage to recapture the bird, the touch of the metal gave off a loud bang and a flash of light. Coughing the smoke away, Brittany stared at the spot where Sue had been screaming her head off. A bird noise caught her attention and Brittany cooed. A black vulture was squashed inside the cage and was making the most [annoying squawking noises](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uA5yGyB_z5U).

“Who’s the most adorable vulture in the world? That’s you!” Brittany waggled a finger at the beak that was trying to bite it off. While otherwise distracted by the new cage occupant, behind her were wisps of smoke and fighters on the floor. Several guards had transformed back into their human form, and the short being with hundreds of All Seeing eyes surrounding her head turned into a girl blinking behind her glasses in confusion.

"I think the curse is broken," Artie said somewhere in the dusty chaos.

"What makes you say that?" said Sam, pushing himself up to a sitting position.

"For starters, I still can’t feel my legs. But I can see there's a guy between them now."

A tall, light brown-haired man was slowly regaining consciousness. Moaning and shaking his head, he slowly stood on shaky legs, ignoring his former master and rider. “Wha’ happened?” he groaned.

Blaine tilted his head. "Artie, you've been riding Sebastian Smythe, the Casanova of the realm, this whole time?"

"Can we please never talk about this from now on?" Artie grumbled. Looking around, everything has fallen to place; Sue has been captured, the Golden Bird is free, and the curse is broken. In a land far away, a labyrinth has banished and its guardian was reunited with his long lost love. Looking down at his legs, Artie’s face fell.

“Is something wrong, bro?” Sam clapped a hand on Artie’s shoulder. The latter shook his head.

“For a second I thought the curse would…” Artie grimaced, beginning to gesture to his legs but waved it off. “Never mind. It’s cool. But I will require a new beast to get around now.”

“I could carry-”

“No,” Artie said curtly. “I’d rather put Smythe on a leash.”

\------------------------------------------------------------------

“Artie,” Kurt began, putting his script down to clasp his hands. “I am really concerned about your fixation with Sebastian Smythe.”

“Wow, way to put words into my mouth, Kurt,” Artie said, pushing up his glasses and giving the gesture enough time to cover his cheeks. “It’s not a fixation. I’m just making fun of him.”

Blaine frowned. “But putting him on a leash--”

“Enough, I’m almost at the best part!” Artie said dismissively.

\------------------------------------------------------------------

As though it had overheard the conversation, Pavarotti flew to Artie and perched on his shoulder. It playfully nipped the bespectacled boy’s earlobe before it trilled a happy tune that filled the air with magic, making it look like sunlight poured right into the throne room. Pavarotti sang,

_ Tweet tweet chirp chirp _

_ Tweet tweet tweet tweet _

_ Chirp chirp tweeeeeet_

A distant rumbling that seemed to get louder with every second made everybody nervous, Artie in particular who had a feeling that Pavarotti had just hailed an ancient cave monster to finish the job.

A green dragon the size of a bull moose thundered into the throne room, roaring with all its might. While everyone backed themselves to the far wall for their safety, only Artie was left on the floor. The dragon spotted Artie and stomped its way to where he was cowering. As Pavarotti flew away, leaving Artie all alone to fend for himself, the dragon nuzzled its large scaly head on the boy’s belly.

“Oh,” whispered Artie, reaching a hand out to pet its nose. The dragon closed its eyes and savored the acceptance. Artie was in awe. “You’re my new ride?”

\------------------------------------------------------------------

Exasperated groans rang throughout the apartment.

“Really, Artie?” Sam shook his head in disbelief. “Really, a dragon?”

Artie shot a half-heated glare at Sam. “Up yours, Evans. Your pathetic 2014-trailer lightsaber can go to nerd hell. I have a dragon.”

Santana was massaging her temples. “Somebody tell them to shut up before I have to watch these nerd babies slap each other all the way to Singledom and NeverLaid land,” she sneered.

  ------------------------------------------------------------------

“So where do we go now?” Blaine cautiously said, being the brave one to approach Artie and his new dragon ride. He helped Artie up to the dragon’s scaly back, picked up the reigns from the floor, and made the secure adjustments on the beast wherever necessary.

“We should introduce the real Brittany to the mermaid. And then we go home,” said Sam. Clapping his companions on the back, they walk out of Castle Dalton, now with a dragon, a prince and his handmaiden in tow. As they strolled out to meet the sunrise, we would like to believe that a happy ending has been accomplished. But as the prince, with Pavarotti fluttering around his head, ran forward to take a knight’s hand in his, Samuel witnessing the beginning of true love between a sweet peasant girl and a mermaid, and a half-naked and sleekly handsome former liger eyeing the empty throne, it was only the beginning of a new story just waiting to be told.

\------------------------------------------------------------------

“The end,” Artie said. He flipped his script close and joined the others in clapping. While that was not his original ending, it didn’t hurt to tweak a couple of things for the sake of entertaining his friends. Plus, he realized the story was crap anyway. Back to the drawing board.

Kurt held his soda can. “I would like to make a toast. This is the very first Halloween where I have not dressed up in a costume, stayed at home, and still had a great time. Thank you, Artie, for bringing your gift of storytelling to a night where we could have watched ‘The Shining’ for the umpteenth time.” Kurt smiled at his friend. He raised his can. “To many more stories.”

“Cheers!” Even Santana joined in by clinking her glass on her laptop’s camera.

 A knock on the door made everyone turn. Curious. Artie, being the nearest, set his drink back down and wheeled to the door. He slid it open to... no one.

Until a tall Great Knife-wielding Pyramid Man stomped inside and caused an eruption of terrified screeches of bloody horror in the apartment. Everyone jumped and Artie rapidly wheeled backwards, knocking down an artsy lamp.

“Hey guys, Happy Halloween!” Pyramid man cheerfully greeted, waving a candy-filled plastic pumpkin bucket that no one noticed. “I went trick or treating and thought I’d drop by to show you my costume.”

“Who…” Kurt’s eyes widened in recognition. “Elliott?”

Pyramid Man took off his head piece and Elliott “Starchild” Gilbert shook out his now unruly black hair. A dashing grin replaced the mask.

“Awesome, isn’t it? A lot of people asked for pictures on my way here; that’s why I’m late, again sorry,” he said. He then frowned at the laptop. “Is that Santana? Hi Santana!”

Santana gave a pained wave and a grimace. “Ugh, you guys are all losers,” she said. “I’m out of here.” The Skype call ended.

“She only left cause she screamed too,” Sam muttered, clambering off from Blaine’s lap where he had jumped on in fright. Kurt scowled at the mess Sam made from where popcorn flew everywhere in shock. “But, uh, hey. Cool cosplay, Elliott!” Sam said. Managing a grin, he offered seating space for Elliott and went off to get another beer for their guest.

“Screw you, man. I almost soiled myself,” Artie grumbled, wheeling back to his place.

“Sorry,” Elliott said as he smiled sheepishly. “Can I make it up to you with--” he spilled the contents of his bucket on to the table. “Candy?” Colorful and brightly wrapped sweets of all sorts tumbled over one another, creating a small pile that appealed to the each of the boys’ inner child. Half a second later and they all each had grabbed a handful.

Kurt moaned, “Reese’s Pieces. You’re an angel, Elliott.” He also plucked out a couple of lollipops from the pile. He had plans for those later. Artie ripped open a packet of M&Ms and poured the entire contents into his mouth. Not to be outdone, Sam was playing a one man’s game of chubby bunny. Blaine happily chewed on the gummi bears two pieces at a time.

“Those are great pumpkins, Kurt,” Elliott said, nodding at the pumpkins all lighted up in a line on the kitchen counter. “Are those yourselves? Cause I think I know that one with the bowtie.”

Kurt and Blaine beamed with pride. “Kurt helped me carve it,” Blaine said. He did a mighty fine job of carving caricatures of his friends, if he may say so himself. Suddenly, a creeping thought crawled up his skin and gave him goosebumps. He stopped eating.

“Hold on,” Blaine said, frowning.

 

_“Who lit the pumpkins?”_

 

\------------------------------

### “I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.”

—Frank Herbert, _Dune_

\------------------------------

 

Thank you for reading the GSF Halloween special. Always remember to be brave and conquer your fears. We believe in you. 

Next week we’ll be back with our usual episodes, characters and several locations including L.A., Lima and N.Y.C.

 

Help us out by spreading the word and reblogging this on your tumblr?  [ Here ](http://gleeseasonfix.tumblr.com/post/109146066076/glee-season-fix-midnight-city-click-here-to)

Definitely check out our episode stills if you haven't yet.

[ Here ](http://gleeseasonfix.tumblr.com/post/109114563631/gleeseasonfix-episode-stills-glee-season-fix)

 

Songs used in this episode:

Kurt and Blaine: This is Halloween from Nightmare Before Christmas

Quinn: Hold Your Breath (Swimming Pool) by Ellie Goulding

Artie, Blaine, Sam, and Rachel: Disturbia by Rihanna

Santana: Young and Beautiful by Lana Del Ray

Pavarotti: The Warbler's Accio Trill in B major 


	5. Track Change

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In LA, something has come up with Rachel’s show, _Star_ , which is going to require her to make some changes in her professional life, at the same time as Brittany and Santana are making some changes in their personal lives. Meanwhile Tina is at a prestigious college and on track for a great future, except for one small detail… In Lima, Marley is juggling studies and relationships and feeling confused about most of it; if only her friends can help her figure out what she really wants. In NYC, Artie is working out the details for his graduation project, but he needs help from someone, and if that someone can’t come through, then he may have to change everything. Kurt will face a decision with One Three Hill that require him to think about his priorities, and Blaine will be approached about something unexpected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Episode 5 was written by [ to-write-is-to-bleed ](http://to-write-is-to-bleed.tumblr.com/) and [ Soofreakincharmy ](http://soofreakincharmy.tumblr.com)  
> Beta by [ HKvoyage ](http://hkvoyage.tumblr.com) [ gingerfic ](http://archiveofourown.org/users/gingerfic/pseuds/gingerfic) [ notalotgoingonatthisinstant ](http://notalotgoingonatthisinstant.tumblr.com/) [ alwaysfallingforanidea ](http://alwaysfallingforanidea.tumblr.com/)
> 
> Disclaimer: This is a work of fanfiction. All the characters and backstories belong to Glee and its creators.
> 
> Glee Season Fix (“GSF”) was written independently of spoilers about Glee Season 6. If songs or plots overlap, it’s due to coincidence or nature of the storylines that need resolution.
> 
> Like on the show, GSF also includes songs and performances. There are links to full versions of each song, as well as song lyrics written out in the scene. We hope you will enjoy listening as well as reading, but be aware that the written version is shortened, whereas the audio versions are the full songs. Our final song is a montage, a format we haven't tried yet with GSF, so don't be startled by the location changing throughout the song as we revisit the characters.

_Here’s what you missed on Glee Season Fix_

_So back in the day Rachel dreamt of being on Broadway, then she went to a school that would get her on Broadway, then she was on Broadway and gave up on said school and then she gave up on Broadway altogether to have a TV show. The TV show was in LA, and she lived with Santana, who actually wants to live with Britt but she was on the Mall Tour with Mercedes._

_In New York, Kurt lives with Blaine but at first he lived with Rachel and got an internship at Vogue.com, but then he got into NYADA and he created a band with Santana, Rachel, Elliott and Dani but Santana and Rachel started fighting so the band was down to three. Oof he must've been busy. Tina is also busy with schoolwork and Mike is busy with dance but they still manage to talk every day._

_In Ohio, Jake broke up with Kitty like ages ago and she went totally crazy with Marley and Marley developed an eating disorder and her mom was actually really understanding about the whole thing. On the other hand, Burt and Carole are still going strong and Burt manages to be a state Representative and have regular Friday night chats with Kurt._

_And that's what you missed on,_

_Glee_

 

November 2014

\-----------------------------------

Los Angeles

\-----------------------------------

“Shh. It’ll be okay, Rachel. I know you’re upset about this now, but maybe there will be other unicorns to befriend later on,” Brittany said in a calming voice.

“Britt, what are you talking about?” Santana asked from the other side of the room.

“Isn’t that why she’s upset? Your unicorn ran away, right,” Britt asked Rachel.

Rachel glanced at Brittany with an appalled look on her face. “No! My show got cancelled!”

“Oh. Well, there will be others of those too!”

“I told you, Berry. I told you to listen to me. But did you? No. You didn’t. You just kept on. And look where you are now,” Santana griped.

“Santana, I feel guilty enough about this already. Could you lay off,” Rachel said through gasps of tears.

“‘Tana, she’s right. Give her a chance to be sad and _then_ you can get mad at her,” Brittany said, squeezing her arm around Rachel’s shoulders.

“Fine,” Santana said, getting up and leaving the room.

“I know she’s angry with me. She has every right to be. I didn’t listen to her. She told me what I was doing wrong, and I didn’t fix my behavior,” Rachel sniffed, pulling out a tissue and blowing her nose.

“You know Santana. She’s just angry and Snixx wants to come out. She’s been really good about handling her anger lately. I’m sure she’ll come apologize when she’s done being angry,” Britt replied. Rachel began to cry again, but it was all for naught, because she was all cried out. She couldn’t cry anymore even if she really wanted to.

“Rachel? Maybe you need to get away from the city. I know you love LA, I mean, who doesn’t? But, I think the last few years have been long and tiring for you. Did you ever think about going back to Ohio, just to visit,” Brittany suggested, getting up to grab another box of tissues.

“It has been a while since I’ve seen my dads…” Rachel trailed off.

“Maybe you should go visit them, get away from the city. Sam’s working at Mr. Hummel’s Tire Shop. Maybe you guys could get together for lunch or something?”

“Yeah. Or something.”

\--

“Okay, Dad. I’ll make sure to tell Brittany and Santana. Thank you, again,” Rachel said to her dad, Hiram. She had told her dads about the cancellation of the show and they were happy to hear she was coming home. Hiram had been reminding her of her manners, telling her to thank Santana for letting her stay with her while she was in LA. He also reminds Rachel to wish Brittany and Santana luck when they moved in together (which was bound to happen once Rachel moved out, of course).

“Yes. I love you, too. See you soon. Bye,” Rachel said, hanging up the phone and opening the door to the apartment to find a mini party had been set up.

“Oh, my god!”

“Surprise,” Brittany and Santana said, accompanied by several of the (very few) friends Rachel had managed to make on the set of _Star._

“Britt, did you do all this?” Rachel asked, amazed at the kind gesture.

“Yeah… Santana helped, too. You know that you’ve always got a home here, right? If New York doesn’t work out, then come back to LA. We’ll help you get out there again,” Britt said, coming to embrace Rachel lovingly.

“Oh, Brittany, that’s so sweet. I know you say that now, but I don’t know if Santana will want me back,” Rachel trailed off.

“Britt talked some sense into me. Look, Rachel, maybe it wasn’t a great idea for me to be your PR manager. I don’t want to hate you. You and I, we’re kind of friends, and I’d like to keep it that way,” Santana said.

“You’re right, though. I didn’t listen, and it was my own fault that the show tanked. Sure, I’m still  upset about it, but I know I’ve got more in store for me. This isn’t the end. I’m going to go back to Broadway. I took a little detour along the way, but I’m going to get my dream. Thank you, both of you,” Rachel said, moving to hug her friends. There had been so much going on in her life that she’d forgotten how beautiful just being in the moment with her friends could be.

“Well, you know what this means, right,” Britt asked.

“What?”

“We’ve got to have one last song for Ms. Rachel Berry’s last day in LA!” Rachel laughed as Brittany looked to one of the other party goers, signaling for the song to [begin](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxA26LGI2Mc).

_This is the way you left me  
I'm not pretending _

As Rachel and Brittany sang, swaying together, Rachel remembered her first mess up on her big entrance into the performance world. She had choked at her NYADA audition, and there was so much pain and heartache that followed.

_This is the way that we love  
Like it's forever _

She could only hope, at the time, that she’d be given a second chance. She was always grateful to Madame Tibideaux for that.

Britt and Santana jumped in, singing alongside Rachel, belting out the words together.  
  
_Can't get no love without sacrifice  
If anything should happen, I guess I wish you well_

After getting _in_ to NYADA, she had to deal with that witch of a teacher, Cassandra July. Maybe the class wouldn’t have been so hard if she weren’t a blonde Santana with devil horns.

But, she overcame that, just like everything else. It seemed like New York had always been her saving grace.

Rachel only managed to survive because of Kurt. Because of how kind and wonderful he’d been to her through all she’d done wrong. He came to New York for himself, but there was always that underlying message that he was always going to be there for her.

New York was her home.  
  
This is the way you left me, I'm not pretending  
No hope, no love, no glory  
No happy ending

New York was where she belonged, but she’d lost her place there.

\-----------------------------------

Lima, Ohio

\-----------------------------------

"Did you hear that Sam managed to get us a performance at Breadstix?" Unique chatted excitedly as she fell into step with Marley.

"No, I didn't," the slender brunette replied distractedly as if she wasn't really paying attention, which she wasn't. "Is there a theme?" She asked politely to keep the conversation going and so it didn't seem like she was ignoring Unique. She knew that the other girl really didn't like being ignored, which totally matched her loud personality.

"Nope, not at all, which means this is the perfect occasion for us to sing some Queen B," she was gesturing wildly, the subject bringing a flashing smile to her face as she proceeded to explain exactly why "she was born to honor Beyonce" and therefore the solo should be hers. "I've been twerking since I was a little baby to the sound of Queen B," she said as if it was the perfect justification for a solo.

Quite honestly, Marley wasn't listening. She hadn’t been expecting this new performance and it totally messed up her schedule. Senior year was kicking her butt and she was starting to feel the exhaustion creeping up on her as she thought of trying to squeeze intensive rehearsals in her already sparse free time.

A sharp fear stabbed her mind: she wasn’t going to be able to do this. Between school and The Vibratos, how was she going to make time for her friends? Would they still be her friends if she couldn't spend much time with them?

She would have no time for herself! No time to watch cat videos on the internet when she was feeling down. How was she going to get by?

The bell rang, shaking her out of her spiral of thoughts. As she jerked as if she’d been awoken she heard Unique saying something that ended in -ous and a good bye as they parted ways. She was already neglecting her friends. How could she make this work?

\--

Of one thing Unique was sure: Marley was not okay. It was not like her slightly shorter friend was particularly talkative or loud, which counterbalanced Unique's vivaciousness just fine, but it wasn't like Marley to bump against people without apologizing for every sin she committed in her life (and if you listened carefully you'd notice she probably apologized for something she did in a past life, that girl). She probably didn't even notice, which was way more worrying because if anything, Marley noticed everything around her. Did she really agree when Unique asked her if she wanted to do a duet? Yeah, probably not.

Unique had no idea what was going on her friend’s mind, but she really hoped she was okay, even if she knew she wasn't. Marley tried so hard to be perfect; she put so much pressure on herself that she never met her expectations. Unique was pretty sure that when Marley and Jake broke up at the end of sophomore year, back in the day, Marley had spent the next days over analyzing every single one of her flaws and looking back on their relationship, trying to pinpoint where it went wrong. It was pretty simple actually: Jake was a womanizer who couldn't keep it in his pants and cheated on Marley out of spite because she said no. The bastard. But Marley always blamed herself for things.

[Marley](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Il7ny5jHRho) was mostly okay nowadays. When she had moved on from Jake, she decided to focus on herself and on getting well and, as much as Unique liked to believe her friend was never going to return to that dark place, that was not the truth. Marley was embarrassed by her disease, still mistaking it as weakness after all this time.

When she was just a girl  
She expected the world  
But it flew away from her reach

When they met, Marley had been so innocent and so trusting that the world would go her way if only she was good and worked hard. Oh, she used to be a sweet summer child. Unique remembered her audition for glee club. Sure, at the time those guys were slightly cool and they weren't at a sub-basement level of popularity, but it was still a risk to be a part of glee. Marley sang because it was her preferred way to express her feelings and she just she loved to, and it showed in the way her eyes sparkled while she sang the sweet notes to "New York State of Mind," not because she wished to obtain that tiny share of popularity that she could reach.

She closed her eyes  
In the night, the stormy night  
Away she'd fly.

They had all forgiven Kitty for what she did, but Unique would never forget the way the light and life faded from Marley because of a "petty prank," which was never meant to have the consequences it had, all because Kitty was rejected by a boy.

Once, when they were having a sleepover (props to Marley's mom for not being judgmental), Marley told her how she dealt with her mind when the darkness crept in: she'd focus on happier memories and, as cliché as it may sound, her dream of a paradise with all her friends and doing what she loved, music and songwriting. Remembering, dreaming, and music had really gotten her through these past years. And she was getting better. Unique just hoped she was in her dreamland and that it was enough.

 _This could be para- para- paradise_   
_Para- para- paradise_   
_Could be para- para- paradise_

\-----------------------------------

Tina’s room, Brown, New England

\-----------------------------------

“My hatred for English class is growing by the day,” Tina groaned to herself with her face hidden in her hands while she rubbed her temples, trying to chase away the headache that had developed after staring into a blank page for way too long. It’s not like she regretted applying to and attending Brown, but she was tired and uninspired and so very tired. Curse the Ivy League workload.

She picked up the pencil again. She had to have this essay ready today or she’d get behind on her homework, but she also felt the urge to bang her head against the desk in frustration. Decisions, decisions. “Tina, get yourself together and focus,” she muttered to herself, but it was too late; she had already put her head between her arms with her eyes closed to alleviate the headache and any prospects of writing an essay seemed unimportant when compared to a nap.

Tina was already uncomfortably sprawled on top of her desk and on her way to dozing off when her computer started making ungodly ringing sounds next to her ear. Slowly, she opened her eyes, careful so that she wasn’t blinded by the light that suddenly seemed too harsh, but when she looked at the caller ID her sight was still fuzzy so she mindlessly clicked the screen to answer the call.

“Hello” she yawned.

“Hey, Tina, did I wake you up?” It was Mike, and just his voice gave Tina all the energy she needed.

“No no, not at all, you probably saved me from being stabbed by a pencil in the face.” When Mike didn't reply right away, she proceeded to explain awkwardly “I was about to fall asleep on top of my English essay.”

“Should I let you sleep then? You sound tired and busy. Maybe I should call some other time.” Tina sighed softly. She couldn’t believe she had forgotten how charmingly sweet he could be.

“It’s okay, I should probably take a break anyway, otherwise I think I’ll fry my brain. How did Rocky Horror go?”

“I think my body is aching everywhere from the daily intensive rehearsals, but I’m doing what I love so it’s not like I can complain, and I’m pretty sure I don’t have any to do any painful essays in the future so that’s a plus.”

“I believe it’s an universally acknowledged truth that essays are the number one cause for headaches among students,” Tina said, her own headache beginning to fade; although there was still a dull throb behind her eyes. “And I know that Brown is an excellent university and that all the work will be worth it in the long run, but is it worth to permanently damage my brain cells with all this work?”

“It’s worth it, believe me. My brain cells are still pretty well conserved, but whenever my body is sore and it hurts to think about dancing I still do it because I love it so much.” Mike replied.

“I don’t doubt that for a second, but I’m not passionate about any of the work I have to do here”

“Have you decided on what you’re majoring in yet?” Mike asked with interest.

“No, not really. When I think about it it’s like I don’t have any passions. Sure I like to sing, but I’m not like Rachel who knew she wanted to be on Broadway since the day she saw Barbara. I don’t have a love for anything like you do with dance...” As Tina spoke she realized that she had just exposed one of her biggest fears. She had no idea what to do next. She had to choose a major soon and that decision wasn’t getting any easier as time passed and deadlines approached. She could do some research, but she had no idea how to even start looking!

“I’m pretty sure you already have a back-up plan or a second choice if you can’t decide.” That was the problem. She didn’t. She always planned everything and for once there was no plan and it terrified her. “But it’s okay to have no idea, really. I’m extremely lucky to have this dream of becoming a professional dancer. That has been my goal since I was little, even when I thought I couldn’t pursue it, but not all people have objectives set on stone. Have you considered talking with a career advisor?”

“No” the idea hadn’t even crossed her mind. She had been so worried about choosing that she never remembered she could ask for help. “I think I’ll seek help from one. Thank you so much and now I'm going to slay this essay!”

\---

A few days later, Tina is sitting in the Career Guidance office on campus, waiting for her name to be called. It was nerve wracking, waiting for this person to come out and help her figure out her life. What would she say? What if she made a complete fool of herself?

“Tina Cohen-Chang?” the reception lady called out. This was it. This was the moment when she was going to figure out what her life was gonna be. And as much as it pained her to let someone else tell her what to do with her life (not really, but it still felt like it), Tina was sure anything was better than the gnawing feeling of not knowing that floated on her mind.

"Good morning," Brown's career advisor greeted her. Tina wondered why they needed one at an ivy league college. Weren't people supposed to know what they were doing with their lives when they chose such a prestigious and expensive school? But here she was, so she guessed that wasn't that bad.

“G-good morning,” Tina replied as she shook hands with the career advisor. The stutter was creeping back in making her even more panicky than she already was. By faking a stutter back in freshman year, the habit stuck with her when she was the most nervous. Like right now.

“I’m guessing you still haven’t decided your major yet. Am I right?”

“Y-Yes” what else could she say? Should she speak more? But that was the truth, Tina was a student, at Brown, who didn't have her life planned out. It was such a shame.

“So, Tina, do you have any passions or something you feel like you want to do for the rest of your life?” surprisingly, the woman in front of her didn't looked bored or like she was trying to rush Tina's appointment. She didn't look like Tina was the only thing keeping her from a relaxing knife. She actually looked like she wanted to help Tina.

“No,” God, she sounded like a fool with these one word answers.

“Don’t worry, Tina, this is quite common and I’m pretty sure there are more kids who have no idea about what to do with their futures than those who do. What did you want to be when you were a kid?”

\-----------------------------------

Los Angeles, CA

\-----------------------------------

“Hey, Britt? Could you c’mere real quick,” Santana called as soon as Brittany let herself into Santana’s-- no, their-- apartment. Not two days had passed before Santana had asked Britt to move in with her, not long after Rachel went to Ohio.

Brittany followed the sound of Santana’s clanking around, only to find her in the bathroom, shoving and moving stuff around.

“‘Tana? What are you doing?” Britt asked.

“Oh!” Surprised by a very quiet Brittany, Santana hit her head on the top of the cupboard she was underneath.

“Hi,” Santana breathed once she was standing, dusting herself off.

“Hi,” Britt replied.

“So. I’ve been working ever since Rachel left. To make this a place for both of us. You know. Our apartment,” Santana began. Brittany nodded in agreement.

“Well, I was able to clear out the guest room, and there are a few drawers in the bedroom with your name on them, but this is what I really wanted to show you,” Santana said, gesturing to the bathroom mirror with a flourish.

“Um. Hey. It’s a mirror! Yay?”

Santana giggled at the question in Britt’s voice.

“No, silly. There’s enough room for your stuff, too. When Rachel was living here, I wouldn’t let her keep her stuff in here, because I knew she would be moving out eventually, and, god, does she have a lot of crap. But. You’re different. You’re my girlfriend. And so, you’ve got space under the cupboard, and in the drawer on the left, too,” Santana said softly.

“Wait, really? You did all this for me,” Brittany asked sweetly.

“Of course, sweetheart. You and me? We’re in it for the long run, I know it. So that means having your own drawer and space in our apartment.”

Brittany giggled and jumped to give Santana a sound kiss on the mouth.

“I love you, you know.”

“I love you, too, Britt.”

\---

It wasn’t until they were making breakfast a few days later that Santana started freaking out.

With Rachel, it had been easy, because they had lived in New York together, and they knew who tolerated what. But this? No, this was way different. This was _Brittany_.

Brittany, who loved her cats and did a silly talk show vlog every week. Brittany, who made strange (but adorable) comments that didn’t always make sense. Brittany, who got confused about breakfast for dinner.

Yes, she loved her, but there was so much that could go wrong. What if she took too much room in the bed? What if Lord and Lady Tubbington canoodled too much, and it started to get on Santana’s nerves? What if… oh, God. What if Britt didn’t like _lesbian indie movies?!_

“Santana? What’s wrong,” Brittany asked, noticing Santana’s lack of cracking eggs.

“I, uh,” Santana’s mouth went dry. “I was just thinking about everything that could go wrong. With this set up we’re about to try.”

“Why would anything go wrong? It’s not like we live in Narnia,” Britt replied.

Santana looked quizzically at her girlfriend, but shook it off.

“Well… What if you don’t like the same movies I do? Or won’t want to go to the same bars? Or, hell, what if I get tired of your cat, for some reason,” Santana said in a rush.

“My cat? What’s wrong with Lord Tubbington?,” Britt asked. Oh, no. She was offended.

“Nothing! I’m just saying, there’s a lot of stuff that could go wrong, sweetheart,” Santana replied slowly.

“I’m not sure about that, ‘Tana. I mean, we’re perfect for each other. You and I are going to be fine. I know it,” Britt said, moving to comfort Santana.

“How? How do you know,” Santana asked.

“Okay, maybe I don’t know completely, but I’m fairly certain that we’re going to be fine. We always come back to each other, don’t we?”

Santana conceded. Britt was right. There wasn’t anything that could get in the way of their love.

“You’re right, sweetheart. I don’t know what I was thinking.”

“Good. Now Let’s finish breakfast and go for a walk.”

\-----------------------------------

Lima, Ohio

\-----------------------------------

Rachel walked into her childhood bedroom, set her things in the corner, sat on her bed and began to cry. It hadn’t been a week since she had left LA, and already she was bawling. Every mistake she ever made, all the hurt and heartache she went through for her dreams, it was all for naught. She had been in her dream production of Funny Girl. And she gave it all up for a show that didn’t even make it to the end of its first season.

She still remembered how they so gracefully kicked her off from her own show.

_"Miss Berry could you please take a seat?" The producer didn't even look at her as she entered the office. Still, he seemed to know exactly when she walked in. It was like he had a sixth sense that came with the Hollywood package._

_"I'm sure you're aware of Star's low ratings" he continued. She remembered those people that had recognized her at  Callbacks. They said it with every word that the TV show was their guilty pleasure. Key word guilty._

_"And that's why Star has been canceled." She had been expecting this but she still gasped with surprise. And it probably wasn't strange to be called to the producer's office but she had her expectations set to receiving an impersonal text saying Star is canceled. Goodbye. It’s been a pleasure working with you._

_"Now Miss Berry, low ratings are not the only reason why Star won't air a second season" Rachel was only half listening at this point. All she could think about was how she had left Funny Girl and now all her Broadway dreams were shattered._

_"You see, I'm fairly sure the network would've renewed the show for at least another season had we not been constantly behind schedule and I'm afraid that is entirely your fault, Rachel," the use of her first name was a surprise and shot her out of her reverie. Like this meeting to fire her had just become personal._

_"As a producer I had a vision. My job is to have the vision that will attract audiences. Your job is to take my vision and make it visual. You were trying to take over my show with your vision and that was not your job" his voice was growing harsher and louder with obvious anger._

_"But I thought the show was about me," Rachel added quickly, afraid of what unwanted things she might hear._

_"Dear, it was inspired by you," his voice was dripping with sarcasm, "but that doesn't mean you're the boss or that the show is about you. You were the star alright, but that doesn't mean you get the right to mess with other people's jobs. Do you remember Susan? I'm sure you know she's not your biggest fan right now. Do you know why? Because you thought you were better than her on her job, when you couldn't even do your job properly." His calm tone freaked her out as it was obvious he was furious. She had ruined this. She had ruined her musical, her TV show and probably her reputation, seeing how word got around in Hollywood._

_"As you know the season is already wrapped so I don't think it's necessary for you to return. I wouldn't wish on any producer to work with someone with an ego like yours. You are dismissed."_

“Rachel, honey? Your dad and I were just going to...” Rachel’s dad, Hiram, walked into the room and stopped at the sight of his daughter’s tears. “Oh, honey.”

“I know the show is over and there’s nothing I can do about it, but I can’t help it. I just keep thinking about how horrible they were to me,” Rachel sobbed into her father’s chest.

“Oh, sweetheart. You know they’re not always going to be horrible. Hollywood is tough business. You’ve just got to learn to roll with the punches,” Hiram said, holding Rachel tight.

“You think Broadway is tough? God. Hollywood is worse. Especially when they fire you. I could feel my image being tarnished as the producer called me out for being the reason the show was cancelled.”

“Nothing is ever going to be easy, Rachel. Look at me and your father. He and I have never been able to just _be_ a couple together. Not when we first started dating, and especially not when we moved here. Being in a gay relationship has meant that your dad and I have always had to fight for our happy ending. But most couples do in one way or another. I know it’s not the best analogy, but it’s similar. You’re just going to have to fight your way back to Broadway.”

“You think Broadway will let me show my face again after the stunt I pulled with Funny Girl?”

“You’re Rachel Berry. They have to.”

\-----------------------------------

The Loft, NYC

\-----------------------------------

“So what were you thinking? Like, go totally industrial with the apartment, and do the complete opposite for the wedding, or...?” Elliott trailed off, flipping through one of the home decor magazines Kurt had bought the other day.

“I’m not sure. Blaine and I haven’t really talked about the wedding theme so much, just the when and where. I just know that he and I want to wear a matching tie/bow tie set and sing together,” Kurt replied, pulling out some more magazines.

“Do you want to go designer?”

“Like I said. I need to talk to Blaine about all this stuff, but, hey. This is fun, right,” Kurt giggled.

“It _is!_ I just can’t believe we started without--” Elliott stopped to check his phone. “Well, speak of the devil. Dani’s on her way up now.”

Kurt steeled himself as the reality of what he was about to do washed over him. His, Elliott’s and Dani’s band, One Three Hill, hadn’t been getting as many gigs in the city as they’d hoped. There was always that hope that they’d get a call for a tiny spot at some obscure bar, anything, but it wasn’t happening.

The fact of the matter was was that Kurt needed to focus his time and energy on other things, like NYADA and Vogue.com. Since starting back at NYADA, he’d had to cut back on his hours for his internship at Vogue. It was sad to spend less time at Vogue, but it was necessary at the time. He needed to focus on his studies. But now things were different. He and Blaine were getting married, he was getting ready to finish NYADA next year, and who knew? Maybe Vogue.com would get him somewhere in the design world.

All Kurt knew was that the band really wasn’t going anywhere, and he couldn’t keep giving Elliott and Dani false hope.

“Hello-hello,” Dani called into the apartment.

“Hey, gorgeous,” Elliott replied, hugging Dani tightly and spinning her a little bit.

“Hey, Dani,” Kurt said.

Dani smiled at her friends, just happy to be surrounded by such good people.

“So, guys. Will you sit down? I’ve got something to talk to you about,” Kurt said, ready to get this over with.

“Oh, my god. You’re pregnant,” Dani gasped.

“I call godfather,” Elliott shouted, although there was no one else to call it.

Kurt laughed and shook his head. “No, you guys. I’m not _pregnant.”_

“What’s up?”

“I think we need to break up the band.”

Elliott and Dani looked at him blankly. Kurt waited for someone to burst into tears.

“What? Why are you looking at me like that,” Kurt asked.

“Well… We just assumed, since we haven’t had any gigs lately…” Dani trailed off.

“That we _had_ broken up the band,” Elliott finished.

Kurt blinked. Oh.

_Oh._

No wonder they hadn’t been pestering him about gigs! They didn’t think they were going to have anymore.

“And besides. I just like hanging out with you guys for fun. I’m mostly soloing it right now, and that’s working pretty well for me,” Dani said, shrugging her shoulders.

“I feel the same way. I think I might try a few new clubs at school, mix it up a little bit. I need to broaden my horizons, anyway. I think this will be good for all of us,” Elliott agreed.

Kurt stared back at his friends, thankful for how calm and chill they were being about this. Now he could go back to Vogue.com full time without worry.

“You guys are the best. Really. I was worried you were going to hate me for this. But I should have known better. Thank you,” Kurt said, pulling them in for a group hug.

“We love you, too, Kurt,” Dani said sweetly.

“You know, since this is the last real meeting of One Three Hill, do you think we should do one last song,” Elliott suggested.

“I have the perfect idea,” Kurt said, going to his phone and plugging it into the [stereo](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VGvHnDeS12o).

I didn't ask for this  
  
I didn't want to care  
  
Been working like a dog  
I turned all my dreams off  
I didn't know my name

Kurt smiled as he sang the words that were so true. He may only be in his twenties, but he had a long ways to go before he was ready to give up on any of his dreams.

I got a little bit longer, I got a ways to go  
  
Even when I can't see my rearview  
Even if I call just to hear you  
Even when I sleep all day

Elliott cast a sidewards glance at Dani as the trio sang.  He knew the break up was coming. So did Dani. They’d talked about it before today’s meeting. They were ready. This was just another chapter of their youth coming to a close. There was so much more he had planned for himself.

Even if I work it like I'm times two  
Living in the back of the bunk just like we do  
Even when I dream all day

Dani sang her heart out, ready for the next bump in the road. The band breakup was just one. Maybe the next gig she got would have a few snags, too. But, regardless of what was coming, she was ready to take it on.

_Oh I got a little bit longer, I got a ways to go oh oh_

\-----------------------------------

NYC, later that same day

\-----------------------------------

The path from school to Madison Square park, where he was supposed to meet Blaine, wasn't the scary part. Sure, Artie was still wary of using the subway since the robbing incident months ago, but now, as he wheeled down the street, he was starting to worry.

When he decided to do a documentary for his graduation project he thought about asking Blaine to star in it but back then he had no idea what to do the documentary on. However, now that it was pretty much set in stone that the documentary would be on the history of dance, as a way to express his passion for the art he would never be able to perform, it felt weird to ask Blaine to be a part of his project.

He was still sure that he wanted Blaine to help him with it. In high school he had grown aware that Blaine was practically perfect in every way and he wanted to use that to his benefit (Kurt was a lucky guy). He just didn't know how.

He had asked to meet with Blaine today to discuss the possibility of him starring in the documentary, but it was a tad embarrassing to ask someone to be a part of something that was going to be so minimalistic. As he spotted Blaine, his nervousness grew because there was no way to avoid this.

"Hey Artie! Are you ready for coffee? Ooh. And maybe we could get a cronut later," Blaine said as he jumped from foot to foot to keep them warm. It struck Artie as funny because they were in New York and warm feet on the winter were a legend that no one had ever proven to be true. Or maybe Artie was getting so nervous his brain was starting to giggle. It was hard to tell really.

"Sure."

They end up wandering for 10 minutes with no particular destination and the silence was so awkward it pained Artie that he had been too lazy to oil his wheels so now they squeaked loudly.

"So," Blaine coughed to clear his throat. "You said you wanted to talk about something important, what is it?"

There was no going back now. "Well, you know the documentary I'm doing as my graduation project?" Blaine hummed as he nodded, encouraging Artie to keep talking. "I have decided to do it on the history of dance," _this is it, just_  go for it, "and I want you to be a part of it".

"On dance?" _Okay, he thinks the idea is stupid but he hasn't said_  no _yet._ "Why would you want me to be a part of a documentary on dance?" Blaine looked confused.

 _Think of something_. Fast. "Let's face it Blaine, your voice is amazing, it's like you were born for narrating. Literally, you could speak for hours about various brands of hair gel and I'd be charmed. I'm hoping the charm factor will work on my professor as well." Even though Artie considered that his excuse sounded less creepy than the actual truth, (which was that he just considered Blaine to be perfect in every aspect and then some), it still surprised him when Blaine didn't run away screaming like a normal person would. Instead, he burst out laughing.

"That's great!" The enthusiasm on Blaine's face was evident and such relief flooded Artie. "I'm sure you'll create something totally awesome and I am more than happy to help!"

"Are you sure you aren't too busy between NYADA and the wedding?"

"It's not like it's a massive production, right? And I'm only narrating, I'm hardly the star."

 _I wish you sorta kinda were_ , thought Artie, wondering how to say it without sounding extremely creepy. "How could you be? The whole thing is not even planned." _Gotta live for half truths_.

"If I need to appear on camera, I'll just make sure I'm wearing my best bowtie."

\-----------------------------------

Los Angeles, CA

\-----------------------------------

Why, oh why, _do women talk to each other?_ If Santana had never mentioned her worries to her co-worker, Britt would have never found out at the work party that she was still having doubts.

“Well, maybe you should have thought of that before you asked me to move in, ‘Tana!”

“Britt, I don’t want to fight. Please don’t do this.”

“Well, that just sucks, because I’m hurt that you would think about stuff like that. I’m scared about this too, Santana, but at least I don’t go around thinking about all the bad traits _my_ girlfriend _may or may not have_!”

“Britt, please!”

“Look, Santana. I tried consoling you about this a week ago. You could have come talk to me, but _no._ You had to complain to your co-workers! If you don’t want this, then say the word, because I can pack up and go.”

“Britt, that’s the last thing I want!”

“I just. I don’t think I can talk to you right now.”

“Brittany, I--”

“Just leave me alone, Santana.”

\-----------------------------------

Lima, OH

\-----------------------------------

“I just wanted to thank everyone for coming here today,” Burt began, holding his champagne glass at the microphone. Everyone stood in silence and watched Burt with rapt attention.

“The election results are in, and it looks like I’m Ohio’s representative for another term!”

Everyone clapped as Burt raised his glass in celebration. “Here’s to another productive two years!”

Burt came down from his perch in the front of the room, and he immediately went to his wife.

“I’m so proud of you, Burt. I know the first term was difficult, because you were new to the political scene, but you’ve done so well,” Carole said, clinking her glass with Burt’s.

"I surely hope so, honey. But you haven't shown me how proud you are yet," Burt winked.

“Burt! Not in front of the guests!”

\-----------------------------------

Los Angeles, CA

\-----------------------------------

"Lord Tubbington" Brittany called for her cat as she couldn't find him anywhere. "I know you went outside for a smoke but it's getting dark and I don't want you to get involved with the cat Mafia in LA as well." She was intently searching for her cat when her phone beeped.

It was a  text from Santana, asking her to come out to the living room saying something about wanting to apologize and make up. Brittany sighed and wondered if Santana was right. There was only so much they _couldn’t_ fight about, and she knew they wouldn’t always be perfectly happy.

Britt arrived in the living room to find it covered in candles and roses. Brittany was amazed, how had Santana brought so much stuff into their home without her noticing. She always noticed her girlfriend, even when they fought. Everything was absolutely beautiful though. Santana was sitting on a stool in the center of it all and began to [sing](http://youtu.be/xi9LiVsd69k?t=7s).

_Who’s around when the days feel long_   
_Who’s around when you can’t be strong_   
_Who’s around when you’re losing your mind_

Brittany laughed breathlessly, realising that Santana was right to worry a little bit. They were going into a new path of their life, and it was okay to be a little scared. Brittany pulled Santana to her as she continued to sing, and they danced slowly together, their silhouettes illuminated only by the  candles in the room.

Somebody misses you when you’re away  
They wanna wake up with you everyday

“I love you, Santana. That will never change,” Brittany said softly as they swayed together.

“I love you, too, Britt. More than anything.”

“You’re my best friend.”

_Somebody wants to hear you say  
Ooh somebody loves you _

\-----------------------------------

Lima, Ohio

\-----------------------------------

"Unique, what the hell is wrong with your friend?" Kitty asked as she dumped her tray on the table.

"Marley?" Unique scanned the room trying to spot her but failing. It wasn’t like they were going to say bad things about her, but it was extremely awkward to talk about someone when they were within hearing range.

"Yes, do you have any other friends?" Kitty replied rolling her eyes, earning a glare from the darker girl. "Okay, you do, but still, Marley, what is it with that girl?"

"Honestly, I have no clue," Unique said. Meaning that Marley had been mostly fine and from one moment to the other she switched off, but Unique wasn't going to go into over-sharing mode about her best friend _with Kitty._

"Now seriously, I'm worried," Kitty said with a concerned frown. You could see the regret in her eyes as she spotted Marley at the far end of the room and waved. "If you don't do something, I will," she whispered harshly but without any malice. Her tone shifted and she greeted Marley brightly when she got closer "Hello! So do you have any amazing solos ready to be performed soon?" Unique winced at the fake excited tone in the other girl's voice. Luckily, Marley was so out of it she replied with a graceful "Huh?"

"Oh, you know, the performance at Breadstix, we'd kill it with one of your songs." This girl was so not going to go into acting. Was she trying to impersonate Elle Woods? What was up with the hair flip and the head tilt? And all mixed with the cheery tone? Dear lord of the limping butterflies.

"I think we'd be better with a cover" Marley replied, worry crossing her face. Oh, no, if Unique suspected something was wrong she was now sure. There was no way in hell Marley would pass an opportunity to present her new songs. She was so proud of them.

"Like I said to the white boy trying to help us, Beyoncé is the key to a good performance." _Tactical change of topic: check._  "Now that means I will sing the solo as no one else could ever do it justice, so just deal with swaying in the background while I impress everyone with my extraordinary vocals." She went on and on about a Beyoncé medley as Kitty shot her a look that said both "thank you" and "leave this to me." The look that Unique sent back had unusual amounts of trust.  Marley just stared into the distance.

\---

Kitty stalked Marley as soon as she left the lunchroom, which wasn't hard because she was mindlessly strolling around the halls. She tapped her on the shoulder gently and muttered "come here," as Marley let out a surprised gasp and complied.

Kitty led Marley to the bathroom, having a flashback of her younger self giving Marley a pep talk back when they were dueting about their own heroes. Oh, those had been the times of bitchiness and childish backstabbing, but they had managed to develop a friendship after glee club had been disbanded. Once Kitty understood she didn't _need_ Jake to boost her reputation and had moved on from the petty rivalry she established with Marley, it was pretty easy to like the quiet girl, she even had a fierceness to her herself that could easily compete with Kitty's.

"Marley." The taller girl turned her eyes to Kitty, but she was still way too much inside her head. This demanded physical action. "Marley!" When Kitty shook the brunette, she jerked as if she had just  awoken and a confused look flashed on her face.

"What are we doing here?" She questioned.

"We need to talk." Kitty crossed her arms across her chest as she schooled her features to hide her worry.

"What about?"

"Did you notice that you nearly knocked one of those gangly freshmen to the floor?" This was not going to be an easy talk, Kitty had no idea where to start and everything was frustrating!

"Oh, my god, no, are they okay?" _See that's classic Marley, not the walking zombie creeping in the halls_ , Kitty thought.

"They are, I'm pretty sure they were more excited for being within one yard of a Cheerio than hurt from being practically shoved into the floor," Kitty replied.

"Shoved?!" _Oh, dear, this was not going well_.

"Beside the point. Marley, you are not okay" Kitty let the concern she felt flow with her voice instead of her usually harsh tone.

"I am perfectly fine!" She claimed, not sounding very convinced herself.

"Well some guys ended up with their butts on cold linoleum and you didn't apologize, are you sure?"

"I was only distracted."

"I'm sure you were, but you're never distracted, so something is wrong. It's not boys, or your kind lost sister would know, so what is it?"

"It's nothing, I swea-"

"See, that's how I know there's something going on. Spill"

Marley sighed, knowing this was a war she could not win "I'm just a tad overwhelmed, okay, it's not a big deal," her tone was pleading and she was this close to begging Kitty to drop the subject. She was not that evil and besides she got Marley to admit not everything was dandy. That would have to be enough for now.

Kitty leaned forward for a hug. It wasn't like she was the hugging type, but Marley looked on the verge of tears as her chest betrayed her heavy breathing. She was clearly stressed, but it was not Kitty's place to pry. And she knew this was enough.

\-----------------------------------

Think Coffee, NYC

\-----------------------------------

“Guess what,” Blaine said meeting up with Kurt at their favorite coffee stand.

“Ooh. I have news, too. What,” Kurt asked, handing Blaine his coffee.

“Artie’s asked me to be the narrator for his upcoming documentary on dance,” Blaine announced brightly, grasping Kurt’s hand in his.

“Oh, that’s so cool! Do you have any details yet? When you’ll receive your Oscar, or how much publicity you’ll need to do,” Kurt joked.

“Oh, hush. Artie says he’s got a few ideas, but all he knows for certain is that he wants me in it and he wants to do a history of dance,” Blaine replied excitedly.

“Blaine, that’s great. I’m so proud of you,” Kurt said, rubbing his arm lovingly.

Blaine took a moment and sipped his coffee and smiled at Kurt again.

“You said you had news,” Blaine asked.

“My band has broken up,” Kurt began.

“Oh, no! What happened? I know Santana and Dani broke up, but I thought you and Elliott were meeting up regularly,” Blaine blurted, a concerned look crossing his face.

“No, no! It’s all alright. Elliott is going to work on some personal projects and Dani is trying to get some solo gigs. I’ve decided that I want to go back to my full Vogue workload. And I know it’s an internship, and it doesn’t make us any money, and I will have less time to do planning with you, but I really think we can make it work,” Kurt rushed out, worried that Blaine would be against the idea.

“And I know we’re already tight on time with our NYADA schedules and everything, but I know this is something I need to do. Vogue is where I belong, just like I belong with you and I belong at NYADA.”

“Oh, Kurt! That’s really great. You don’t need to explain that to me. I completely understand. This is just like when I was working with June earlier in the year. If you think this is something that you need to do and it’ll benefit us and yourself in the end, then go for it. I trust your judgement,” Blaine said, smiling at his fiancé.

“Really?”

“Really.

Kurt smiled back at Blaine and they left to walk in the brisk New York autumn wind.

\-----------------------------------

Lima, Ohio

\-----------------------------------

Marley paced back and forth across the McKinley auditorium. She knew her mom worried about her, but she didn’t want to give her more reason to be concerned. While she was on this train of thought Marley heard her mom come in.

“Marley, honey? What’s up,” her mom asked.

“I, um,” Marley started. “I haven’t really been feeling my best the past couple of days, Mom. I know you told me to tell you if I thought about, um, _that_ , again, but I just needed to work it out on my own this time.

“Oh, Marley, honey--

“Mom, I’m okay! I just wanted to tell you that I’m going to start taking better care of myself. I’m going to start focusing more on my schoolwork and my songwriting, rather than boys and other stuff. I think I need to start focusing on my own needs, rather than other people’s,” Marley said in a rush. She looked at the pianist on stage with her, nodded, took in a deep breath and began to [sing](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCB_MbYyCYQ).

_Couldn't relax, couldn't sit back_

_It felt so sweet, it felt so strong_

\---

As she left the Career Guidance office, Tina was filled with a new sense of accomplishment. There was so much out there for her to do, to learn. And she was ready to take on the world and make it her own. She may not know what she wants to major in, but at least she had someone to help her along.

_I found what I'd been looking for in myself_

\---

Burt and Sam were discussing some numbers in the shop. Burt had been noticing there had been an influx of new customers lately, and he wanted to give Sam a raise.

“Sam, you’re like a son to me. I know it was hard on all of us when--when Finn left us, but you’ve got that same eagerness to work and help out around at home. I couldn’t appreciate you more. So, that’s why--”

“Burt, honey? I’m sorry. I know you’re probably really busy, but I need to talk to you about something,” Carole said, walking into the shop.

Burt was startled at the sight of his wife. Shouldn’t she be at work?

“Of course, hon. Sam, we’ll finish this later, alright?”

Sam looked after the couple, slightly confused, and returned to work.

_Happy, happy_

\---

“Dance with me.”

Santana happily obliged, pulling Brittany into her arms, slowly dancing to the music heard only in their heads.

This was what it meant to have bliss.

This _was_ bliss.

I've never been the type to call  
I realize to be happy  
Maybe I need a little company

\---

“Kurt? Could you get the door? I’m stuck under a pile of paperwork Artie needs me to fill out!”

Kurt opened the door, shocked to see a very disheveled Rachel Berry. “Uhm...Blaine!”

“I’m sorry about this… I didn’t have anywhere else to go, and I’m an adult; I couldn’t go back and live with my dads like a child, Kurt,” Rachel sniffed.

“Oh, honey. Come here,” Kurt said, pulling the smaller girl into a tight hug. She cried dryly, no tears coming down her face, but, in the end, Rachel knew it was going to be okay.

I believe someone's watching over me  
And finally I have found a way to be  
 _Happy, happy_

\---

Marley continued singing until eyes watered with tears. She knew how her bad feelings had affected her the past couple of days. She knew. She knew it was time to get them all out and in the open. She was ready to get better. She was ready to start taking care of herself.

_Never thought that I could be, I could be  
Happy, happy _

\---

“Carole, what’s goin’ on? You’re worrying me,” Burt said the minute his office door shut.

“Oh, hush, you big worry wart. You’ve got nothing to worry about, this time,” Carole replied amusedly.

“Well, then, what’s goin’ on?”

Carole blushed and looked away from her husband.

“Carole?”

“Burt, honey. I. Well.”

“Well, what?”

_Like the land joining the sea  
Happiness, it followed me_

“I’m pregnant.”

\-----------------------------------------------------------------

\-----------------------------------------------------------------

 

Thank you so much for reading the latest episode! We hope you enjoyed it. Tune in again next week, for an all new episode of Glee Season Fix, titled "Tripping" !

  


[Can you help us out by spreading the word and reblogging this on your tumblr? ](http://gleeseasonfix.tumblr.com/post/109817680086/glee-season-fix-track-change-click-here-to)  
And our writers appreciate all comments and reviews :)  
Here you can reblog our [ Episode Stills ](http://gleeseasonfix.tumblr.com/post/109700206611/episode-stills-gsf-episode-5-track)

The coffee shop our Kurt and Blaine meet up in is inspired by Heartwolf's  _Little Numbers._  

Songs used in the episode:

Rachel, Santana and Brittany: HAPPY ENDING by Mika  
Unique: PARADISE by Coldplay  
Kurt, Elliott and Dani: WAYS TO GO by GROUPLOVE  
Santana: SOMEBODY LOVES YOU by Betty Who (acoustic)  
Marley: HAPPY by Marina and the Diamonds


	6. Tripping

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes life doesn’t go how you expect, and that is certainly the case for Rachel Berry, whose TV show was just cancelled, and for Carole Hudson-Hummel, who just discovered that she’s pregnant. What to do about those surprises can be a difficult and delicate process. But even when life is going according to plan, it isn’t always simple. In NYC, Artie knows exactly how he wants to make his documentary, but what will he do when his professor has other ideas? Kurt and Blaine are planning a wedding, In LA Brittany and Santana have moved in together, and from opposite sides of the country Sam and Mercedes are in love (but not admitting it to each other), but all of them will face bumps in the road as well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Episode 6 was written by [ gingerfic ](http://archiveofourown.org/users/gingerfic/pseuds/gingerfic) and [ Sapienveneficus ](http://sapienveneficus.tumblr.com/)  
> Beta by [ HKvoyage ](http://hkvoyage.tumblr.com) and [ alwaysfallingforanidea ](http://alwaysfallingforanidea.tumblr.com/)
> 
> Disclaimer: This is a work of fanfiction. All the characters and backstories belong to Glee and its creators.
> 
> Mentions the loss of Finn. 
> 
> Glee Season Fix (“GSF”) was written independently of spoilers about Glee Season 6. If songs or plots overlap, it’s due to coincidence or nature of the storylines that need resolution.
> 
> Like on the show, GSF also includes songs and performances. There are links to full versions of each song, as well as song lyrics written out in the scene. We hope you will enjoy listening as well as reading, but be aware that the written version is shortened, whereas the audio versions are the full songs.

_Here’s what you missed on Glee Season Fix..._

_Kurt and Blaine are really excited to finally be planning their wedding. Blaine’s parents are not so excited about it, and their interference is making things awkward. Mercedes is in love with Sam, but it’s complicated... Meanwhile Brittany and Santana are settling in in LA, and everything is awesome, happy and perfect now. They had problems last season and the one before, so it’s about time that they got a break._

_Artie is working on a huge documentary as his graduation project for film school. He obviously knows exactly what he is doing since he had all those high school experiences with directing “West Side Story,” the televised “Christmas Special,” and who could forget his directorial debut, “Run Joey Run”?! That one was really something special. So there’s nothing to worry about, right?_

_Rachel was a star in high school and then at NYADA and then on Broadway and then she went to LA to do a TV show where it kind of all fell apart. But now she is back in New York, and ready to get back where she belongs: on a Broadway stage._

_Burt Hummel just got re-elected to congress, and, oh yeah, Carole Hudson-Hummel just found out that she’s pregnant. Surprise!_

_And that’s what you missed..._

 

 _November 2014_  

\-----------------------------------

The Lima Bean, Lima, Ohio

\-----------------------------------

Carole pushed open the door of The Lima Bean for the monthly Glee Moms Coffee Date. They had started it years ago after bonding over the emotional roller coaster of watching their kids compete, but it had developed into something of its own. It was a bit hit-or-miss now, so she was never sure who would show up on any given month. Some of the group had moved or simply lived too far away to attend very often, others had conflicting work schedules, or simply hadn’t ever gelled with the group very well.

Carole glanced around the room and spotted a booth in the corner where Nancy Abrams, Sharon Jones, Pam Anderson, and Millie Rose were already chatting. The usuals then. Carole smiled as Millie caught her eye and waved her over. She scooted into the booth next to Nancy.

“Hey girls, how is everybody?”

“Marley’s writing songs again,” Millie announced proudly. “Remember how the kids performed one of her songs at regionals two years ago?”

The others nodded.

“I should give her Mercedes’ number,” Sharon realized. “She has been talking about wanting to add something different for her next album. Maybe they would enjoy collaborating.”

“Is Mercedes coming home for Thanksgiving?” Nancy asked. “I am so proud of Artie and what he’s doing at film school, but I really miss him. I’m so glad I get to see him in a couple of weeks.”

“No, actually, my mom and I are going to go visit her in LA,” Sharon responded. “She has a holiday concert there on Thanksgiving weekend so she can’t come home, so we are going to go visit her later this week.”

“Oh, that’s so exciting!” Carole gushed. “I wish I got to see the boys more often.”

Pam nodded. "I'm so proud of my kids, but I sure miss them."

“Well,” Sharon chuckled, “exciting is one way to put it! I mean yes, I’m very happy to be seeing her. But I haven’t been on a plane since the days when flight attendants were called stewardesses and they allowed smoking in the bathrooms. Flying makes me a little nervous…”

“Here you are ladies,” Jake Puckerman announced, passing out several cups and muffins. “It’s good to see that the monthly “Gloms” Date continue even without the glee club.”

“Gloms?” Sharon arched a critical eyebrow at him. Jake laughed.

“Yeah, Glee Moms. Gloms. Did you not know we all called you that?”

“I didn’t--” Pam began, but she was cut off by Millie’s loud snort.

“Oh lordy, Jake, I nearly spit my coffee all over you. Don’t be so funny, ok?” She shooed him away with a hand motion. “Go on back to work.”

“He’s growing up to be a decent kid, isn’t he,” Nancy noted.

“Yes, he is,” Sharon agreed with a smile. Then she glanced at Carole, who was looking a little pale. “Carole, are you ok?”

“Yeah, I’ll be fine,” Carole mumbled, taking a deep breath, and feeling a wave of nausea as she inhaled the strong smells of all the fresh coffee on the table. “I think I just need some water or something.” She tried to smile convincingly at the other women.

“Carole?” Pam asked, touching her shoulder. “You don’t look like you feel fine…”

Sharon’s eyes widened. “Carole, you’re...oh my…” she didn’t finish the sentence.

“I’m afraid I may be just a little morning sick,” Carole whispered through a deep blush.

Millie squealed and scooted out of the booth and around to the other side to hug her. “Oh, that’s so exciting!”

“Uh, thanks, not too tight!” Carole squeaked. “I’m a little pressure sensitive…” Millie loosened her grip and went back to her seat. "I'm kind of nervous about it, actually," Carole admitted. "It's been twenty years since I did this, and last time wasn't easy. I feel tired just thinking about having a little one around again."

"You were practically a single mother last time," Sharon noted. "Now you have Burt around. Not to mention that with age comes experience and patience. It helps." She smiled encouragingly.

"I worry about the baby being, you know, healthy," Carole explained. "I mean, I'm on my third year of being thirty-nine you know!" Millie, Pam and Sharon laughed with her, but Nancy just nodded quietly.

"Having a child with special needs is hard," she said quietly. The group quieted and everyone turned to look at her. Nancy straightened in her seat and looked around at each of them before her gaze settled on Carole.

"Please don't misunderstand me," she continued. "I love Artie very much. But everything about my life--my family’s lives--is different because of him being in that chair. The surgeries and doctors visits are only part of it. We had to remodel our house to make it accessible and safe for him. We had to get a different car. We always have to make special arrangements for him for vacations or school field trips or even just birthday parties. I love my son; but I never would have signed up for all that if I didn't have to."

"What are you saying, Nancy?" Sharon asked suspiciously.

"Artie was eight when the accident happened," Nancy clarified. "He was already part of our family and everything. But if I could know before a child was born that they would have major difficulties, well, I might choose to terminate the pregnancy and save everyone the struggle. That's all."

Sharon pursed her lips but held her tongue. They all knew that she opposed abortions unless they were to save the mother's life, but right now she wasn't going to bring it up.

"I know there are a lot of risks for both me and the baby because of my age," Carole agreed. "I admit the idea has crossed my mind. I'd never had a reason to really think about it before, and I'm not sure how I feel about it."

"My boys are nine years apart, you know," Pam reminded them. "In a lot of ways it's like having two families, but I am glad I have both of them. They're so different, and add to my life in different ways."

Millie Rose had been sitting quietly through most of the conversation, but now she raised her voice. "Marley was an unplanned pregnancy," she said simply. "I was young, and her father didn't want a kid so he left when I told him I was pregnant."

Sharon reached an arm around Millie's shoulders. "Oh honey..."

"Don't feel bad for me," Millie smiled. "I mean it was hard of course. It's still hard. But having Marley is one of the best things in my life. If I had the choice all over again, knowing exactly how everything would be, I wouldn't do anything different." Sharon squeezed the other woman's shoulders again. Millie looked Carole in the eye. "I know losing Finn has been really hard, but have you ever wished that you'd never had him?"

Carole rapidly shook her head no. "Never!"

"There is no way to know the future, Carole," Millie concluded. "But when it comes to kids, I think it's worth taking the leap."

"At least get the blood tests, and the amniocentesis," Nancy urged. "So you know if there is anything you need to prepare for."

Carole nodded. "Yeah, I figured I would." Then she giggled, breaking the tense atmosphere that had developed around the table. "I can't believe I just told you all. We just barely found out ourselves." She glanced meaningfully at Pam. "We haven't even called Kurt yet! You have to promise you won't tell anyone!"

 

\-----------------------------------

Backstage in a theater, New York City

\-----------------------------------

Rachel sat on the hard bench in the hallway, waiting for her turn. This was her third audition this week, and she was feeling good about getting back in the saddle. She knew there were several more names on the list ahead of hers, so she closed her eyes, rubbed her fingers on her temples, and practiced the monologue again. She was going to be perfect.

"Oh my god, do you think that is _the_ Rachel Berry?" a nasally voice snapped her out of her reverie. Two girls were standing by the sign-in sheet, and one was pointing to her name.

"I don't know. Do you think she would even try to audition after everything that happened?" Rachel cocked her head, trying to hear better without catching their attention.

"Well, I've heard she was good, so maybe she has a chance," the nasally one suggested.

"No, no way. Nobody in this town would hire her after what she did. She walked away from a lead role without giving notice."

"Yeah, but it's not unusual for someone to leave one role if they get a better offer," nasally countered. Rachel said a silent prayer of thanks for this girl.

"Not without notice," the other girl insisted. "I've heard she used to skip rehearsals to hang out with her friends, and skipped performances to go audition for other things. Her reputation precedes her and no producer or director is going to hire someone so unreliable."

This time the nasally girl just shrugged as they wandered to the far end of the hall to find some seats. Rachel glared at them and made a mental note to be sure her next prayer rescinded whatever blessings she might have asked for the girl before.

She looked at the list again. Her turn was next. She took a deep breath, shook out her shoulders and arms, and mentally went over her monologue and song one last time before stepping up to the stage door.

A stagehand opened the door. "Next," he hollered.

Rachel smiled at him from inches away. "Hi, that's me," she said, stepping through the door and onto the stage.

Rachel had been through hundreds of performances over the years, and dozens of auditions as well. With the exception of that one awful NYADA choke, she had always done very well at them. Today was no exception. Rachel killed it. Every word of the monologue carried nuance and emotion. Every note of the song was executed with perfection and poise. However the director and producer missed it all. They had looked up when she walked out onto the stage, nodding acknowledgement of her presence; then she had introduced herself and begun, and neither of them had looked at her since. They spent the entire audition looking at their papers or talking to each other. Rachel was determined to impress them anyway, but by the end of her performance it was feeling personal.

"I'm Rachel Berry," she boomed, "and I have star quality, which you would know if you had paid any attention to my audition."

"We know who you are," one of them responded in a bored tone. "We know exactly who you are, which is why we don't care how good you are. We will never cast you."

"I'm sorry, I don't understand," Rachel faltered.

"Honey, nobody is going to hire you after the stunt you pulled with Sidney," the other explained patronizingly. "He may not have had any legal recourse with you, but he made sure that everyone knew that you're not worth the trouble. I let you audition because practice is good for everyone, but I’m not going to cast you. So you can be on your way now." He waved his hand dismissively and looked back down at his papers.

Rachel stumbled outside in a daze, letting the heavy backstage door slam shut behind her as she stepped into the alley. A sob slipped out and she gasped for breath as [words began to pour out](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OV1x_ZzxUYg) with the tears.

Rachel scuffed her shoes in the dirt as she slowly wandered toward the main street, meandering between the old boxes and garbage bins that crowded the already narrow alley.

__ Wipe it off your sleeve  
Your superiority  


Rachel sighed, pausing to let a stray cat dart across her path. She had had her whole life planned out, and this was not that life. What happened? How did all her dreams fall apart?

_ I know people who take midnight drives for head space  
I know what they'd give for just one loving embrace _

Her voice dropped to a whisper as she reached the end of the alleyway.

_ Don't roll your eyes, my sweet _

With a deep breath, Rachel Berry stepped out into the busy street and turned south toward Bushwick.

 

\-----------------------------------

New York City, later that week

\-----------------------------------

"I'm bored," Professor Finch announced, interrupting Artie's explanation mid-sentence.

"Excuse me?"

"I'm bored," the stout, balding man repeated.

"Well I haven't finished describing the--"

"Yes, I know, but I'm already so bored with your proposal for your documentary that I can't bear the thought of your continuing."

"I don't understand." Artie knit his brows trying to make sense of what he was hearing. "I am proposing a classic, elegant, and artistic approach. Black and white film with vintage footage and a suave-voiced narrator is--"

"Boring."

“I--”

“That’s been done, Arthur.” Professor Finch was one of those people who called everyone by their full name, even if they asked him not to. “That’s been done, and redone, and overdone. It’s outdated. You need something new, something fresh. Something different. The whole point of this assignment is not to revisit the past, but to transport the viewer into the future.”

“But it’s a doc-u-men-tar-y,” Artie clarified, slowly enunciating each syllable. “It _is_ about the past. That’s kind of the point.

“Yes,” Professor Finch agreed, “the content comes from the past, but the presentation must transcend that!” He waved his hand around awkwardly, as though to illustrate his point.

“So, what do you suggest?” Artie asked, feeling lost and a little discouraged. He had spent several weeks planning this proposal.

“Break out of the box, Arthur! Don’t bore me!” And with that Professor Finch opened a large book on his desk and began staring at it pointedly, making it clear that he was ready for Artie to leave.

Artie snapped his mouth shut and rolled into the hallway. He wove his way in and out among the other students slowly, but his mind was racing. What could he do? He had to do something very different, but he had no idea where to start.

Well, music had been inspiring him for years, so maybe that would work. He wracked his mind for the most avant garde, out-of-the-box song he could think of.  “I Am the Walrus” seemed obvious, but then he realized, no, there was something better: the song that was a meta of Walrus.

As Artie rolled out of the building and began making his way down the busy sidewalk, he took a deep breath, and [went for it](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evxrVjW-aeg).

 __I told you 'bout strawberry fields  
You know the place where nothing is real  
Well, here's another place you can go  
Where everything flows

God, he was hoping everything would flow...his brain felt pretty dammed up at the moment.

_ Looking through a glass onion _

Maybe he needed to find a new point of view? But 

 __I told you 'bout the walrus and me, man  
You know that we're as close as can be, man  
Well, here's another clue for you all  
The walrus was Paul

Friends...his friends might have ideas. He should talk to them.

__ Fixing a hole in the ocean  
Trying to make a dovetail joint, yeah  
Looking through a glass onion

That was a thought! Maybe he was trying to change too much at once. This didn't have to be the catastrophe of a hole in the ocean. Maybe it just required the precision of a dovetail joint...tiny changes in the right places. All he had to do was figure out which places, and with Monday night potluck dinner just a few days off, Artie felt much less worried than he had before.

Artie hummed to himself as he pulled to a stop in front of his apartment. He still didn't know what he was going to do, but he felt a little more confident knowing that he wouldn't have to figure it out alone.

 

\-----------------------------------

The Hudson-Hummel household, Lima, Ohio, a few days later

\-----------------------------------

Carole was a bit frazzled as she headed out from work. Her meeting with the Glee moms a few days before (“Gloms,” she remembered with a chuckle) had given her a lot to think about. She got into her car, but didn’t do anything more than put her key in the ignition. She needed time to think, time to collect herself before driving home from her shift. She had to wrap her head around what everyone had said, and figure out just how she felt before talking to Burt. She glanced at the clock on her dashboard, 3pm. _Good,_ she thought, _that gives me two hours before I need to be home starting dinner._ It was her night to cook, after all.

Having worked out that much out at least, she turned the key and pulled out of the parking lot. Sure, she needed to think, but a dirty stretch of pavement next to the hospital was no place to do it. She drove on autopilot for about 20 minutes before turning, just past the sign for Faurot Park, and stopped her car near the pond. Faurot Park was in her old neighborhood, and it was where she used to take Finn when he was little. She used to bring Finn and Noah here to feed the ducks on her mornings off from the hospital, though those peaceful outings quickly turned disastrous when the boys discovered it was more fun to throw bread at the ducks rather than to them. She laughed quietly to herself as the memory of four year old Finn being chased by one particularly irate duck came back to her.

Finn, just thinking about him reminded her that, whatever she and Burt decided about this surprise pregnancy, she’d always be someone’s mother. She just needed to decide if she was ready to be a mother again. She remembered how hard it was when Finn was an infant. What she remembered most was just how utterly exhausted she was all the time. Christopher was already using drugs pretty heavily by the time Finn was born so when she wasn’t taking care of him, she was taking care of her husband. _Well,_ she thought, _that’s one thing that will be different this time around: I’ll have a the support of my husband._

Comforted by thoughts of Burt, and what a great husband he was, she allowed herself to imagine what he’d be like as a father to this new child. She saw an OSU Buckeyes mobile circling over a football themed crib. She saw a baby cuddling a soft, toy dirt bike covered in an acid-wash denim blanket. This time she allowed herself a proper giggle fit, Kurt would absolutely kill them if they went ahead with the nursery Carole was dreaming up. Actually, he’d probably kill her if he ever found her lucky pair of acid-wash mom jeans she’d managed to protect from his many purges of her closet over the years.

Then, her thoughts turned to sadder topics. She was a nurse, and as such she was well aware of the risks of pregnancy at her age. Was she willing to go ahead with the pregnancy if it meant she might be putting her life or the life of her unborn child at risk? Even if they both made it through the pregnancy, she knew that there was a greater chance that her child would be born with a disability. Could she and Burt handle the extra demands of raising a special needs child? And what about her job? She knew she’d want to be home with the baby while he or she was little. Burt’s salary as a congressman was more than enough for them to live on, but would her job be waiting for her when she was ready to go back? It was all too much to process alone, she decided. So she walked back to her car, and drove home.

She’d just poured the pasta into the strainer when Burt walked in the door. He immediately washed his hands and stepped up to what he’d lovingly started referring to as the salad station. Kurt had him well trained.

In a matter of minutes they were sitting down to dinner. Carole figured now was as good a time as any to unburden herself, so she let Burt know all that had been going through her mind these past few days. At first he didn’t say anything at all. He merely nodded and chewed. When she was done, he had only one thing to say.

“Carole, I love you. I love you just as much as I’m going to love this baby. And yeah, something bad might happen. But let’s not borrow trouble. When it’s time, we can have tests done and everything, but, for now, let’s just take things one prenatal visit at a time. If something goes wrong down the line, then we’ll tackle the problem head on, okay?”

As simple as his statement was, Carole was instantly reassured. Neither of them knew just what the future held, but she was comforted by the reminder that, no matter what came, they would face their future together.

 

\-----------------------------------

The Loft, New York City, Monday evening

\-----------------------------------

“Blaine, you have been in a foul mood all evening, what is going on?” Kurt hissed as he scooted in next to his fiancé to grab dishes to set the table.

Blaine looked up from the vegetables he was aggressively chopping. “Sorry, my dad called me again this afternoon…”

“Is he still…” Kurt set down a pile of plates without finishing the sentence. He knew what most of Richard’s calls focused on lately.

“Yeah, he was trying to convince me that since we’re already engaged and already living together, then it’s no big deal to push the wedding back a year or two.” Blaine was making air quotes with his fingers, and using the sing-songy voice that he reserved for when he was really upset with someone. He went back to attacking the carrots with the knife.

“Oh god.” Kurt rolled his eyes. “I’m sorry.” He pushed the silverware drawer shut with his agile hip and started setting forks and spoons around the table. “I don’t know what else we can tell them to try to get them to understand...”

“Kurt,” Blaine looked up at him, his eyes big and full of emotion. “He said something different today.”

Kurt’s head snapped up. “What?”

Blaine looked back at the vegetables on his cutting board, staring at them because he couldn’t bare to watch Kurt’s face when he told him this part. “Well, he didn’t say it outright, but he sort of implied that if we don’t want his opinion to be part of our wedding arrangements, then his money won’t be part of it either.”

“We never asked them to pay for the wedding, Blaine,” Kurt reminded, coming up behind his beloved and sliding his hands around his waist.

“I know,” Blaine agreed, “we never asked, and I never expected… except I guess I kind of did.”

Kurt rested his chin on Blaine’s shoulder and waited for him to continue.

“Ever since you were a little kid, you’ve imagined this amazing fairytale wedding,” Blaine explained. “And we both know we can’t afford that on our own.” He nodded, as though reassuring himself.

“But Blaine,” Kurt took the knife out of his fiancé’s hands and set it down, moving around his side until they were facing each other. “The most important part of my fairytale wedding is the prince, and I already have him.”

Blaine’s head dropped. “But I still want it for you. The flowers, and the music, and silk draped-- ”

“Hey,” Kurt slipped a finger under Blaine’s chin and lifted his face. “Hey, look at me, Blaine.” Their eyes met and Kurt brought their foreheads together. “I can take extra shifts at the diner, you take extras at the bookstore, we can do this. And if our wedding has to be small and simple, that’s ok. We can do the fairytale thing for our twenty-fifth anniversary, ok?”

Blaine nodded. He had known that Kurt would say something like that, but he also knew that Kurt really did want that fairytale wedding. And he knew that if it was going to happen, it would have to have the Anderson’s financial support. For the umpteenth time that evening, Blaine considered postponing the wedding.

“Hello!” Rachel burst into the loft, arms full of groceries. Artie rolled in right behind her. “I am so annoyed that the little grocery on the corner closed. I had to walk seven blocks with these bags.”

“Well thanks for expending so much effort to help with the household groceries,” Kurt deadpanned.

Rachel glared at him. “Hey, I may only be staying here until I can get my own place, but you had almost nothing in that fridge that was vegan. So I _had_ to go--”

The door slid open slightly and Mike slipped through the impossibly narrow gap. “Hi,” he said to the group with a quick smile and a nod of his head. “Sorry I’m a little late.”

“Artie and Rachel just got here,” Blaine replied, dumping the last of the vegetables into the now steaming pan of water on the stove. “And we were a little behind on getting everything done here, so you actually have a few minutes to spare.”

Artie leaned over to Mike where he had settled into a chair with his long legs stretched in front of him. “They were a _little behind,_ ” he muttered with a gleam in his eye. “Wanna make any bets as to why?”

Mike gave Artie a playful shove and a dirty look before turning to the others. “So, Rachel, how is that apartment hunting going?”

“Oh, it’s slow,” Rachel said, diva mode obviously rising on her features. “I need something in a good location for the subway of course, but in a neighborhood that will be safe in the wee hours of the night, since of course I will get home late on the nights I perform.”

Kurt and Blaine gave each other a knowing look. They had heard the whole tearful story of her audition a few days before. They were pretty sure it would be a while before she had a paying performance job again.

“But I also can’t go anywhere too cramped, I need space to be able to rehearse at home obviously.”

“Obviously,” Artie repeated. Rachel ignored his sarcastic tone.

“How about you guys, how is school?” she asked, looking around at the others as they all settled into their seats around the table.

Artie groaned and everyone turned to him. “My professor hated my proposal,” he moaned. “I have to completely rework the concept.”

“But it was so classic,” Blaine exclaimed.

“Yeah, which apparently means it was boring,” Artie answered. “He didn’t even let me finish my proposal; he said he was too bored. So I am starting over from scratch and I feel like I’m a month behind now.”

“It doesn’t have to be a month,” Mike pointed out. “You don’t have to change your subject matter.” He sat up a little straighter. “I happen to think that the history of dance is a fantastic topic!”

They all laughed.

“Yeah, but my whole concept has to change, and I don’t know what to do with it now,” Artie pouted. “I’m trying to think outside the box, you know? But I feel like there are so many boxes in film that soon as I get out of one, I’ve inadvertently landed in another one.”

“I’m still willing to help,” Blaine offered, hoping that it would encourage his friend.

“Thank you, I appreciate that,” Artie inclined his head toward Blaine, who returned the gesture. “But I can’t limit myself to vintage footage, I need something fresh and edgy.”

Mike cleared his throat. “This is just an idea, but what about putting in live scenes? I would be willing to help, and I bet I could recruit some friends from my classes to help. Maybe it could even include instructional portions for certain dances."

"My god, Mike, that's genius!" Blaine declared, thumping Mike on the back heartily. He spread his hands out to emphasize his point as he continued "don't just watch it; experience it!"

"Hmmmm, this is intriguing," Artie agreed. “I think I could go somewhere with this. Thanks guys.”

Rachel clapped her hands eagerly. “Yay! I’m so glad you got this figured out!” She looked around the table with a squinted eye, “which brings us to the final important matter of the evening.”

“Waf dat?” Mike asked with his mouth full.

“The way that a certain someone couldn’t keep his eyes off a certain other someone at the reunion!” she stared pointedly at Mike, who choked before grabbing a glass of water and chugging it.

“What are you implying?” he asked her, trying to sound nonchalant.

“That you were making googly eyes at Tina the whole night,” Rachel said smugly. “As if we wouldn’t notice.

Kurt was nodding. “I live with the master of heart eyes here,” he jerked a thumb toward Blaine, “I know them when I see them, mister!”

Blaine just smiled.

“Whoa, bro, it is mandatory that you tell us if you got a thing goin’ down with Tina again!” Artie chided.

“There’s nothing going on!” Mike defended, eyes wide and hands in the air. “We are friends. We broke up when I graduated and we keep in touch but we are just friends.”

“Like the kind of _just friends_ that Kurt and Blaine were at Mr. Schue’s wedding-that-wasn’t?” Rachel prodded.

Kurt and Blaine glanced at each other and Kurt’s ears turned pink. He certainly had never regretted that Valentine’s Day, but from time to time he wished that not so many people had found out about the more personal details of it.

Blaine winked at him and then turned back to the rest of the table. “If he says they’re just friends, then I’m sure they are really just friends,” he said with mock seriousness. “I talk with Tina pretty often and I think she would have told me if she’d had a weekend _that_ exciting.” He elbowed Kurt in the ribs and Kurt poked him back, blushing even harder.

Kurt cleared his throat, took a large swallow of water, and spoke up. “If he says they’re just friends then we should believe him.” He nodded toward Mike and Mike nodded gratefully back, relieved to have someone apparently on his side. “However,” Kurt continued with a sly grin and a glance around the table, “what they are and what he _wants them_ to be may not be quite the same thing…” He grinned triumphantly.

“Wait a minute!” Mike began, but he was cut off by Rachel’s uproarious laughter.

“You’re not going to win this one,” Artie warned him. “You might as well give up and accept that we’re right.”

“...and let us tease you about it!” Rachel added.

Mike buried his face in his hands and shook his head. “Why did I ever move down here with all these ridiculous people?” he asked himself with a whimper.

 

\-----------------------------------

Mercedes’ apartment, Los Angeles

\-----------------------------------

“Mom! Granny Jo!” Mercedes yelled as she spotted two of the most important women in her life coming down the escalator.

“Hey, sweetie!” “Hey, honey!” Sharon Jones and Josephine King called almost in unison.

Mercedes smiled to herself. Though her mother and grandmother squabbled often, she knew it was because they were practically the same person.

“So, how was your flight?” Mercedes asked as she grabbed one of their bags off the conveyor belt.

“Your grandmother near about pitched a fit when we hit a patch of turbulence,” Sharon announced.

“I most certainly did not. I was merely offering up a prayer to our Lord in heaven to help us on our hour of need.”

“Mama, you know Jesus doesn’t need you to shout. You nearly gave that poor flight attendant a heart attack.”

“Well, a young woman with such a delicate constitution shouldn’t be in that line of work in the first place.”

“To fly with you, mama, a woman would need to have Samson’s constitution.”

“Hush, now. I brought you into this world, and I can still take you out.”

Mercedes burst out laughing. “Mom, that’s where you got that? I can’t wait to tell my brother! Granny Jo, mom says that to us all the time.”

And with that the tension was broken and all three women, quietly chuckling, loaded their belongs into the cab and made their way back to Mercedes’s apartment.

Once they arrived, and had gotten settled in, they insisted on going grocery shopping because Mercedes’s fridge was, by their estimation, completely empty. Mercedes didn’t even think to complain because by now she’d learned what every young adult learns not long after they graduate high school, never to turn down free food or a home cooked meal.

True to their word, her mom and granny returned carrying, by the looks of it, half the contents of the local grocery. They proceeded to whip up enough food to feed a small army, but again, Mercedes didn’t complain. She was just happy to see them working together and didn’t want to interrupt their ceasefire, but also her worries about Sam were at the forefront of her mind.

By the time the three of them sat down to eat, Sharon could tell that something was wrong with her daughter. She was being too quiet, and the smile plastered on her face didn’t quite reach her eyes. After saying grace, she turned to her daughter and said, “What’s got you so low, sweetie?”

“It’s nothing, Mom, I’m fine.”

“Don’t give me that. I know when something’s bothering you. Now what is it? Are you nervous about the concert next weekend?”

“A little.”

“And?”

“And what?”

“You don’t look a little bit nervous, you look like something’s really weighing on you. What is it?.”

Mercedes looked from her mom, whose face was one of concern, to her grandmother, who had yet to weigh in on the subject. Her grandmother’s face mirrored her mother’s, and Mercedes knew she didn’t stand a chance with both of them looking at her like that. So she sighed and then spilled her guts.

“It’s Sam. Remember how I said that we broke up before I went on tour? Well, we’ve gotten back in contact since then. We started small, texting and liking each other’s photos on Instagram. Then last month, when the tour stopped on Columbus, Sam came with some of the others and we all hung out. He made it clear that he wants to get back together. And for the past month, that’s all I can think about. I know that I still love him, but there are still some very large issues that could tear us apart.”

“Like what?”

“First, there’s, well,” Mercedes paused to shoot a furtive look at her grandmother and then took a slow breath before plowing on, “the sex issue.”

“Honey,” her grandmother cut in, “you needn’t tiptoe around anything on my account. I am a grown woman. I know all about sexual relations. I may have even engaged in a little hanky panky with your grandfather this very morning before leaving for the airport.”

“Granny!” “Mama!” Both Mercedes and her mom yelped in unison before falling back in their chairs; overcome by a fit of giggles.

When her giggles finally subsided, Mercedes sat back up, took a deep breath to calm herself just a bit more, and then continued her explanation.

“Sam knows that I’ve decided not to have sex before I get married, and he says that he fully supports my decision. I just...I worry that down the line he’ll start to resent me or blame me. Like I’m keeping him from doing something he really wants to do, and I don’t want our relationship to turn sour like that. I told him as much when I ended things this past spring. And now, I just don’t see how we can get back together when this thing still has the power to tear us apart.”

Mercedes’s mom was quiet for a moment; taking in all that her daughter had said.

“Hon, there’s a lot of truth in what you’re saying. And I can’t promise you that if you and Sam start seeing each other again, things won’t have the potential to end badly. But, I think there’s something to be said about being too cautious. If you love him and trust him as much as you say you do, then you should trust him enough to know his own mind and heart. If he has told you that he’s willing to wait, and you’ve come to see him as a man of his word, then I think you ought give him a chance to honor that.”

“Your mother’s right. Have a little faith in your boy. He may surprise you.”

Mercedes still felt unsure, but she knew that this decision wasn’t one that she could make in a single evening.

“Tell me more about this Sam,” her grandmother’s prompt interrupted her train of thought. “Is he a nice boy? Does he go to church? Would I know his grandparents?”

“Mama,” Mrs. Jones quickly cut in, “this cornbread is especially delicious. Did you change your recipe?”

Mercedes knew what her mother is doing. She was trying desperately to change the subject. By unspoken agreement, no details about Sam had been passed along to her grandparents. Mercedes assumed, as did her parents, that her grandparents would not approve of her dating a white boy as no one in her extended family ever has.

“I added a little organic, honey. What? I watch the Food Network too! Now tell me more about Sam. All I’ve managed to get out of your mother is that he worked as a male model in the city.”

“Well,” Mercedes began tentatively, “Sam and I went to school together at McKinley. We were in Glee club together. We dated briefly the summer after my junior year, and then again this past year while I was living in the city. And, yes, he goes to church.”

“That all sounds fine. What I can’t understand is why you and your mother get so squirrely whenever I ask about him. It doesn’t sound like he’s got anything to hide. Did he rob a bank? Is he a Lutheran?”

“Honey,” Sharon chimed in, “you might as well show her Sam’s picture. I don’t think there’s any getting around it anymore. Besides, giving her a few days to process may help to soften the blow for your grandfather.”

Mercedes nodded and pulled out her phone. After flicking through a few images, she selected one and passed the phone across the table to her grandmother.

“Granny, that’s me and Sam in front of the bronze bull on Wall Street. He was convinced that if you pulled the bull’s horn just right, it would open a secret passage leading to some long forgotten treasure hidden underneath the streets of Manhattan. I think he’s seen the National Treasure movies a few too many times.” Mercedes said all of this very quickly, hoping to distract her grandmother with tales of Sam’s eccentricities.

But then Mercedes got a good look at her grandmother. She didn’t look angry. Instead she looked a bit sad. In fact, she looked like she was about to cry.

“Granny, what’s wrong?”

“He looks so much like Bill,” her grandmother said so quietly that it was almost inaudible.

“What was that?”

Her grandmother took a second to reach for a napkin and blow her nose. Then she replied, “I said, he looks just like Bill.”

“Mama, who’s Bill?” Mrs. Jones was apparently just as clueless as her daughter.

“He was my first boyfriend.”

Silence followed.

“Mama, what do you mean? Papa was your first boyfriend. You must have told me that story a hundred times. You had just started working the front desk at The Majestic, and papa walked in and asked about a room. You knew from the state of his coveralls that he couldn’t afford it, but you humored him. He came in once a week for two months before he got up the nerve to ask you out for coffee.”

“Yes, yes,” her grandmother cut in, “that’s all true. That is how I met your father. He was just as stubborn and determined then as he is now. But, your father wasn’t my first boyfriend.”

“Granny? Does Gramps know he wasn’t your first boyfriend?”

“Yes, of course he knows. But we decided it would be unwise to tell you children about Bill. We didn’t want you getting any ideas that could lead to trouble. But I suppose you’re old enough now and the times have changed.” Her grandmother smiled to herself before plowing on. “I met Bill the summer before I started high school. I was 15 years old so that would have made it 1952. Don’t you go working my age out now! Anyhow, my daddy was always forgetting his lunch because he left for work at the mill so early. It usually fell to me to bring it to him because my mama had to go to work herself. One day that summer, just as I was approaching the mill, I ran smack dab into boy my own age carrying a lunch pail. Well, we both fell over and were a bit dazed and then started apologizing all at once. It turns out both our daddies forgot their lunches on a regular basis. And then, for some reason, sitting there in the dirt, we just burst out laughing. Both our daddies, grown men mind, didn’t seem to have the sense to remember their own lunches and we just found that hilarious.”

“So the boy you ran into? That was Bill?” Mercedes asked tentatively. Not really wanting to interrupt her grandmother’s story.

“It was. He let me go on ahead to deliver my daddy’s lunch, but he also asked me to wait just over the hill for him to do the same. I don’t know what came over me that day, I knew that I shouldn’t, but I waited. There was a wooded area not far from the mill and we walked over there. We spent the whole afternoon in those woods, just talking. I’d never talked to a white boy before, and I couldn’t believe we had so much in common. His daddy was a mill worker just like mine, he also had 3 siblings, and he sang in his church’s choir. But what really kept me there in those woods all afternoon was his sense of humor. That boy could make me laugh like no one else I’d ever met. He did the most remarkable impressions. Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, Dean Martin, even Lucille Ball! That one was my favorite. Why I remember when I finally saw her on television, after hearing her for years on the radio, I was disappointed to see she didn’t look a bit like Bill.”

Mercedes had been completely wrapped up in her grandmother’s story. So much so that she almost missed what her grandmother said about Bill and his impressions. When what she’d said finally registered, Mercedes sat up a little bit straighter. A look of complete and utter shock on her face.

“We kept on meeting up in those woods at least once a week all summer. Bill started bringing Cokes on hot days. He was thoughtful like that. We would share stories about our families and friends and yes, before you ask I might as well tell, we would kiss a little. He was the first boy I ever kissed and, though I never told him so, the first boy I ever loved. But when it came time for school to start, I knew it was time to end things. Bill insisted that we could keep on in secret, but I knew it would be too hard once we were both back in school with all our friends. Besides, I was afraid of my growing feelings for Bill. I knew there was no future in dating a white boy. Even if our families, by some miracle, came to accept our relationship, where would that have left us? Society was so segregated back then, even in the north, that there’s no place where we would have been able to settle down and raise a family. What’s that old expression, _A bird can love a fish, but where will they make a life together?”_

“I get that dating would have been impossible. But how did you just turn off your feelings like that?” Mercedes asked.

“Sweetie, I didn’t. I started school that fall, and I made sure to keep busy. I worked on the yearbook, joined the school choir, and volunteered a lot at church. But being busy didn’t make me forget him. It didn’t make him forget me either. He used to send me letters. He’d be real sneaky and make the return address some magazine I loved. Once, he even used my church’s address. But I never once wrote back, and eventually he just stopped writing. I did keep track of him though. I saw an announcement in the paper saying he’d gotten engaged to a girl in Columbus. Years later there as an article about him winning some reward for service to the Rotary Club. And then, 5 years ago, I saw his obituary. Can you believe he and that Columbus girl went on to have 8 children and 19 grandchildren? Lord have mercy! So, you see, things worked out for the best. He went on and found someone new, and I met your grandfather.”

“So that’s it? You have no regrets?”

“I know I did what was best, but I do regret never telling him that I loved him. Because that summer, it was the truth. I loved that boy, and if times had been different, I would have followed him anywhere.”

Suddenly Mercedes had an idea. She picked her phone up off the table, scrolled through her girl group playlist, and once she found what she was looking for, hit play. As the opening notes of her favorite song off of the Sister Act soundtrack began to play, Mercedes turned to face both her mother and her grandmother. She smiled at them, and then [began to sing](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VPpd-6X3tEo).

_ I will follow Him  
Follow Him wherever he may go _

Unable to withstand the power of a sing-a-long, Sharon and Josephine joined in for the next verse.

__ There isn't an ocean too deep  
A mountain so high it can keep  
Keep me away, away from his love

And then, as the tempo increased, Mercedes couldn’t help herself. She started to dance.

_ I love Him, I love Him, I love Him  
And where He goes I'll follow, I'll follow, I'll follow _

At this point Sharon started dancing right alongside her daughter. It was clearly not the first time these two had had an impromptu sing-a-long. Josephine, though, sat back down in a bit of a huff, implying that she was clearly too old and too dignified for this kind of silliness.

Just as the song was winding down. Granny Jo jumped back out of her seat and shocked them both with an impressive high note. She then joined them, singing and dancing along for the final chorus.

The three women then fell into a group hug, laughing all the while.

 

\-----------------------------------

The Loft, New York City

\-----------------------------------

Kurt was staring at the wall when Blaine got home from class that afternoon. Kurt hardly glanced up at him as he came through the door.

“What’s going on?” Blaine could tell that Kurt was upset over something, but he knew that he wasn’t likely to tell him anything unless he asked.

“I just got a call from my dad and Carole…” he began.

“Is everything ok?” Blaine asked worriedly. He sat next to Kurt on the couch, visions of heart attacks and cancer coming to his head with frightening speed.

“I don’t know,” Kurt responded, shifting his weight to face Blaine. “I mean, yeah, it is, but I don’t know if it will be.” He looked Blaine in the eye. “Carole is pregnant.”

“Oh my god, Kurt.” Blaine wrapped his arms around the other man and pulled him close. “Wow,” he mumbled.

“Yeah, wow.” Kurt went silent.

“Are they excited?” Blaine finally ventured, sitting back a little so he could look at his fiancé properly. “I mean, we should be happy for them, right?”

“Except for the part about it being a reminder of them having old people sex?” Kurt made a face of mock disgust. “Sure, yeah, I’m happy for them,” Kurt gave Blaine a half-hearted smile. “I think,” he added.

“You think?” Blaine pressed.

“Well, Carole is almost forty-two, and my dad has had heart attacks and prostate cancer. I’m just worried that something will be wrong with the baby. Or that they’re too old or that their health is too bad to start over like this. I mean, a baby Blaine. That’s huge.”

“They are amazing parents, Kurt,” Blaine soothed, rubbing his back roughly. “This baby is lucky to have them.”

“I know, I just, I’m worried about them. I’m not sure if having a baby right now is a wise choice.”

“Well, they _are_ having a baby, Kurt.”

“They don’t have to,” Kurt replied simply. “I mean, it’s early enough that Carole could get an abortion. They don’t have to take this on.”

“This is your little brother or sister you’re talking about!” Blaine replied in surprise. “I would think you’d be excited!”

Kurt turned abruptly to face Blaine. “Do you think they’re trying to replace Finn?”

“What? Oh, god, no! Um, I don’t think so?” That was something that hadn’t occurred to Blaine.

“I’m afraid that maybe they are, and that they only _said_ it was an unplanned pregnancy, because of their age and everything. What if it’s not? What if they think that having a new baby will help them feel better about losing Finn?” Kurt was rambling now, the words pouring out one on top of the other and his hands moving in awkward, disjointed gestures. “Nobody can replace Finn, Blaine, it doesn’t work that way!”

“Hey, Kurt, hey, slow down.” Blaine took Kurt’s face in his hands and held him gently, meeting his gaze and helping him calm down.

“Look, I don’t know what the circumstances are. But it’s their choice, not ours. They are going to do what feels right to them. And, as their family, we will support and love them. Ok?”

Kurt nodded, burrowing his cheek into Blaine’s hand and smiling at the comfort he found there.

“Yeah, yeah, you’re right.”

Blaine nodded.

“I just worry.”

“I know honey, I know.” Blaine pulled him close, cradling Kurt’s head against his chest and gently stroking his face. “Shhhh, it’s going to be ok. I’ve got you.” Kurt relaxed into Blaine’s embrace.

“You know, I was older than Finn, but he always called me ‘little brother’ anyway,” Kurt muttered, though Blaine knew he had never really minded it. “Now I guess I’m going to be a big brother again.”

Blaine smiled through an “um-hmm” as he kissed the top of Kurt’s head and held him close.

“I could probably get used to that.”

 

\-----------------------------------

Sam’s room, Lima, Ohio, the next day

\-----------------------------------

Sam was sprawled across his bed, ear pressed to his phone. Being three time zones apart from Mercedes meant that they texted more than called, but since her tour had ended (and since the reunion three weeks ago) they had been calling a lot.

“I just wish you would believe me,” he sighed.

“Sam, I do believe you.”

“No Mercedes, you don’t. I’ve told you over and over that you are worth waiting for, but you keep insisting that it’s not fair to ask me to.”

“It’s not--” she started, but he didn’t let her interrupt him.

“It wouldn’t be fair if you were forcing me into something, but you aren’t. I made a choice and I’m comfortable with it, and I’m tired of you insisting that you know my true feelings better than I do.”

“Sam--”

“I haven’t been with anyone else you know.”

There was silence from her end of the line for several long moments before he continued.

“I know you wanted me to be free to be with other people, but I don’t _want_ to be with anyone else. You were right that I wouldn’t cheat on you, but you were wrong when you thought that I would resent you for it. I don’t feel resentful. It was my choice to be celibate to wait for you, and I don’t regret it. You need to believe me.”

“I think I do believe you, Sam,” she whispered.

“I’m just so tired of...wait, what?”

“I said I do believe you.”

“You do?!” He couldn’t hide the excitement in his voice.

“Yes,” Mercedes sighed. “I always wanted to, but I was scared. I was afraid that what we had was too good to last, like a fantasy, you know? I was afraid that it was too fragile, and that it could all pop like a bubble.”

“I’m not a bubble, Mercedes.”

She chuckled. “I know you’re not. I just have spent so long being independent, and trusting my own thoughts and feelings about everything. I haven’t trusted you as much as I should have about this.”

“Exactly!” Sam exclaimed. “So, I mean, we’re ok then?”

“We’ve always been ok,” Mercedes asserted.

“I mean we can get back together then?”

“Um, that’s not what I was saying…”

“Mercedes, last spring when you broke up with me you said it was because you didn’t want to hold me back or tie me down. Because I was a cheetah that had to be able to run.” He nodded for emphasis, even though he knew she couldn’t see him. “But now that we both agree that you’re not holding me back, and that sex doesn’t have to be a problematic issue between us, then why can’t we just get back together?”

“The sex was a big thing,” she agreed, “but it wasn’t the only thing pulling us apart. I just don’t think you appreciate how complicated some of these issues are, Sam,” she tried to explain.

“What’s complicated about me loving you and you loving me?” he countered.

She didn’t correct him. They were both past trying to pretend that the way they felt about each other was anything besides love. The question was what to do about it. “Well baby, for one thing, you’re white--”

“Mercedes!” he interrupted, twisting himself around and up into a seated position, cross-legged on the bed.

“...and you know that doesn’t matter to me,” she continued. “There are going to be people who won’t be comfortable with us being together, and I don’t care about them. You and I are adults and we can make this choice, knowing what we’re going into.”

“Yeah…” Sam wasn’t sure where she was going with this.

“But what about our kids? Mixed-race kids can have a hard go of it, Sam. They wouldn’t be choosing it like we are…” Mercedes kept talking, but Sam had stopped listening. Mercedes had just said _our_   _kids_. She was thinking about a future with him just as much as he was thinking about one with her. She may have tried to pretend that these conversations about getting back together were hypothetical, but _our_ kids? Her heart knew it wasn’t hypothetical, even if her brain hadn’t caught up yet.

“Mercedes,” he interrupted again. “Look, I know that these things are complicated. I know that they aren’t the kind of thing that can be figured out in one conversation. Maybe they can’t even be figured out in one lifetime. But I want to try. With you.”

“I know, Sam, I just--”

“I know there are things you’re worried about. And they are things that matter.” He took a deep breath and plunged forward. “Do you know what things I worry about? I worry about poverty. I worry about having enough money to keep a roof over our kids’ heads, or keep food in their mouths. I’ve been there. I think about it all the time. But thinking about the things that might go wrong doesn’t stop me from focusing on the things that will go right.”

The other end of the line was quiet for a while.

“You just said ‘our kids,’ Sam,” she said softly.

“I know.”

“You just…”

“You said it first.”

“I what?”

“You said it first, Mercedes.”

“I don’t think I--”

“Mercedes Jones,” Sam blurted passionately. “I’m in love with you and I want a life with you, and I’m willing to wait for you. I can wait for whatever you need, because I have faith that one day you will be ready to be with me again. I happen to know that you are in love with me too, and whether or not you have admitted it to yourself yet, I think you want that same future I want. That future that has both of us in it: together, with a little house and some kids and a mangy dog that you won’t admit you like.”

“Sam…”

“I’m not giving up on us Mercedes. I will keep working at whatever we need to work at for as long as we need to do it.”

She smiled, visions of what he described dancing in front of her eyes as a tear rolled down her cheek.  “I know, baby. I know.”

There was silence again for a minute before finally Sam spoke softly. “I have to go to bed. It’s late here and I’m working at the shop tomorrow morning early."

“Ok. Goodnight Sam.”

“Goodnight Mercedes.”

She sat on the couch, staring at the phone in her hand and thinking about what Sam had said. Apparently she wasn’t good at keeping secrets from Sam. Then again, if he was the one, maybe she didn’t _need_ to keep secrets from him. She thought back to the conversation with her mother and grandmother a few days earlier, and sighed through a wry smile. _Our kids._ Yeah, that sounded about right.

 

\-----------------------------------

Santana and Brittany’s apartment, Los Angeles

\-----------------------------------

Santana pushed the door shut with her hip as she dropped her keys on the counter and set the bag of groceries next to them.

“Britt, I’m home!” she called out, looking around the small apartment for her girlfriend, but not seeing her. She shrugged and started putting away the groceries. Santana had finished work earlier than usual today, and Brittany wouldn't have expected her to be home yet. She had probably gone to a nearby park to watch the squirrels and soak up some sunshine: Brittany loved that LA had sunshine even in November.

The handle of the front door clicked as someone opened it from the outside, and Brittany backed into the room.

“Well thanks for walking me home,” Brittany said to someone. Santana leaned out from behind the fridge door to see who it was, and caught a glimpse of a tall, sandy-haired man.

“No problem,” a low voice replied. “Maybe I’ll see you at the park again sometime?”

“Sure, maybe! Bye!” Brittany flashed a grin and waved as the man turned to go down the hallway. Her blonde hair flew out around her shoulders as she spun around and closed the door.

Santana slowly rose to her feet from where she had been crouched, putting vegetables into the fridge drawer.

“Oh, hi Santana, I didn’t know you were home yet,” Brittany announced cheerfully.

“That seemed obvious.”

Her girlfriend’s eyebrows furrowed. “What do you mean by that?”

“I mean that I don’t think you’d be bringing a guy to the door if you knew I was here to see it.”

“Bringing a…” Brittany’s voice faded out as she looked at Santana strangely. “I was sitting on a bench at the park watching the clouds to see if they would make any mathematically important patterns. He just sat next to me and started talking. He was nice so when he asked to walk me home I said ok.”

Santana’s glare didn’t fade. “Uh-huh.”

“You think I was flirting with him.” It wasn’t a question. Brittany knew how Santana’s mind worked.

“Well if the shoe fits…”

“Santana! I love you! I’m _with you!_ Why would I flirt with some cute guy at the park?”

“Well you were with me at the same time as you were dating Artie, so I don’t know, maybe you would be with some other guy at the same time as you’re with me," Santana snapped.

“You know," Brittany said thoughtfully, "you did tell me it wasn’t cheating to be with you when I was dating Artie, because of having different parts.”

“Yeah, I know I said that…” Santana pursed her lips and stared at the ground. Damn, she wished she’d never said that.

“But you don’t really feel that way do you,” Brittany observed.

“Not when it’s me that’s getting cheated on.”

“I’m not cheating on you,” Brittany reminded her. “I would never cheat on you.”

“How can I even believe that when you jump from men to women without blinking?” Santana screamed. “I mean for all I know you’ll just get tired of what I can offer and decide you want a penis around and then what?” Santana took a deep breath, grabbing the counter to stabilize herself as she realized what she’d just said, and how long she’d been thinking it before she said it.

Brittany stared at her, blinking a few times. “You really think I would just leave like that?”

“I don’t know, would you?” Santana spat. Then her voice dropped to almost a whisper. "There are things I can't give you Britt, and I'm scared that you're going to decide that you can't live without them."

Brittany stared at her in shock. Santana took a deep breath and began to [sing under her breath](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLmVGouFE_M).

_ I don't wanna hear about a boyfriend  
Sometimes you're better off alone _

Santana sighed. This was more complicated than she wanted it to be. Why couldn’t love be a simple thing?

Brittany reached out, taking Santana’s hands in her own and singing back to her.

__ Girls love girls and boys  
And never did I think that I  
Would be caught in the way you got me

Santana knew that Brittany loved her. She trusted that. But it didn’t take away the jealousy she felt.

Brittany knew that Santana was insecure, and always had been. For all of her bluster and cool bitchiness, she was actually a very sensitive person underneath. Of course she was scared of being hurt. Almost everyone had hurt her at some point. Brittany had even hurt her before. But she wasn’t planning to let it happen again. She needed Santana to understand that being bisexual didn’t mean that she would be unfaithful. She would never do that to Santana.

Santana could see Brittany’s sincerity, and it made her feel guilty. She didn’t want to distrust her girlfriend, she just… It was hard. Santana was scared. Her walls were going back up.

_ I am just a villain vying for attention from a girl  
A girl who can't decide and here's the reason why _

The two women joined hands and drew each other close, singing together.

_ Girls love girls and boys _

Brittany looked Santana right in the eyes as she sang the final lines.

_ And love is not a choice  _

“Just because I love men too doesn’t mean that I’m not committed to you,” Brittany smiled, hoping that her girlfriend understood a little better now.

“I don’t see why you can’t just make a choice,” Santana said coldly.

Brittany opened her mouth to retort, then she snapped it shut and just stared at her girlfriend.

Santana opened her mouth to continue the fight, but hesitated, shocked by the sudden quiet.

Brittany stared at her for another moment before her lips grew tight. Softly, through gritted teeth, she hissed “love is not a choice.” Then she spun around and walked out the front door.

Santana jumped up and ran after her, throwing the door open and yelling into the hallway “Brittany, wait--” but it was too late. She was gone.

Santana gasped, trying to breathe, but it seemed suddenly that the room did not have enough air. She choked, sliding to the ground in a heap as the tears poured out around one last whisper.

“Brittany!”

 

\--------------------------------------------------------

 

That's it for this week on Glee Season Fix! Tune in next week for episode 7 called With a Little Help Form My Friends ! 

Tumblr links to help us spread the word:  
[ This episode ](http://gleeseasonfix.tumblr.com/post/110482470581/glee-season-fix-tripping-click-here-to-read)  
[ Promotional stills ](http://gleeseasonfix.tumblr.com/post/110348631776/episode-stills-gsf-episode-6)

Please leave a comment or kudos for the writers Gingerfic and Sapienveneficus if you liked this chapter. :)

Songs in this episode 

Rachel: Black and Blue by Paloma Faith (acoustic version)

Artie: Glass Onion by The Beatles

Mercedes, Sharon, and Josephine: I Will Follow Him (from Sister Act)

Santana and Brittany: Girls/Girls/Boys by Panic at the Disco, girl version cover by ItAllyHills

 


	7. With A Little Help From My Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Life is easier with a friend at your side, but you have to constantly earn their support and also be there for them whenever they need you. This is a lesson that Rachel finally has to learn, as Kurt is fed up with the diva’s attitudes. Brittany and Santana are a lot more than friends but after Santana’s freak out that shook things up between them, they need to set a few things straight again. Deep cutting conflicts in a relationship is also something familiar to Kurt and Blaine, who will have a heart-to-heart over an issue that is long overdue… Meanwhile in Lima, in light of his rekindling romance with Mercedes, Sam is panicking about a “sizeable” matter. And on a night out in Texas, Puck runs into someone unexpected…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This episode was written by [ gingerfic ](http://archiveofourown.org/users/gingerfic/pseuds/gingerfic) and [ becausehiships ](http://archiveofourown.org/users/becausehiships/works)  
> Beta by [ HKvoyage ](http://hkvoyage.tumblr.com) and [ alwaysfallingforanidea ](http://alwaysfallingforanidea.tumblr.com/)
> 
> Disclaimer: This is a work of fanfiction. All the characters and backstories belong to Glee and its creators.
> 
> Glee Season Fix (“GSF”) was written independently of spoilers about Glee Season 6. If songs or plots overlap, it’s due to coincidence or nature of the storylines that need resolution.
> 
> Like on the show, GSF also includes songs and performances. There are links to full versions of each song, as well as song lyrics written out in the scene. We hope you will enjoy listening as well as reading, but be aware that the written version is shortened, whereas the audio versions are the full songs. In this episode Puck's song is a Mark Salling original so make sure to check it out if you want a real-glee experience. 
> 
> If you did not read the one shot [ “Bros Helping Bros” ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/3168407/chapters/6879776) (which goes with episode 2) then we recommend reading it before this chapter, because it will explain some back story that will help with part of this episode.

_Here’s what you missed on Glee Season Fix..._

_Rachel is in New York trying to make her big return to Broadway but it isn’t exactly going as she’d planned and she’s so not taking that well. She’s been staying with Kurt and Blaine in The Loft, which is a little awkward because that’s really their place now, but she kind of acts like she still owns it. They’re trying to be supportive but they still have school and work and a wedding to plan and parents to placate, so they’re pretty busy and Rachel isn’t very understanding about it. Actually Rachel isn’t very understanding about a lot of things. Come to think of it, she’s kind of a horrible friend since she has no time to think about anyone else’s well-being except her own._

_Sam is in Lima trying to figure out what to do with his life. He’s pretty sure it includes Mercedes, but the rest is feeling pretty fuzzy right now, and not the good kind._

_Meanwhile Brittany and Santana had a huge fight and Brittany just walked out. And she didn’t even take Lord Tubbington!_

_And that’s what you missed…_

 

November 2014

\-----------------------------------

Santana’s apartment, Los Angeles

\-----------------------------------

Santana woke up sprawled across the couch.  Her neck was uncomfortably stiff, as this was the second night she’d slept here since she couldn’t bear to go anywhere near the bedroom without Brittany. She hadn’t brushed her hair since yesterday morning and, to put it lightly, it was a hot mess. Her makeup was smudged and resembled a hooker’s on the day after, but she couldn’t bring herself to care, or to bother with putting on anything besides an old sweatshirt and some soft shorts she’d owned since Cheer Camp. Lord Tubbington sat on the other side of the couch, glaring at her for taking up so much space or maybe for just being there in general.

“I just don’t have the energy to do anything else,” she told him defensively. “And even though my figure is better than yours, my overall mass is still greater, so it’s only fair that I get most of the couch.” She scooted herself to a more seated position. “There, is that better?” The cat’s expression didn’t change.  He was mad.

Santana twisted herself around until she found where her phone had landed on the floor last night. She picked it up and hurriedly looked for new messages, but there were none. With a rapid thumb movement she dialed Brittany’s number again. It rang twice and then went to voicemail. _She’s screening her calls,_  Santana noted.

She left a message. The eleventh one since Brittany had walked out: eight on Brittany’s voicemail and three on Mercedes’. Santana was pretty sure that that’s where Brittany was staying: they had gotten close during the concert tour, and why else would Mercedes not answer her calls? But since no one would actually talk to her, she wasn’t completely sure.

Santana’s phone chirped with an incoming text.

From Brittany

**Will meet you tomorrow 2pm at the park bench where we fed that squirrel that one time**

Santana knew exactly where she meant.

A moment later a second text came through. This one from Mercedes.

**Please stop calling. She just needs some space. She will be there tomorrow.**

Santana breathed a sigh of relief. She wasn’t happy about having to wait another day, but if Britt needed space, she could try to respect that. At least she knew she was safe. And tomorrow they could fix things.

 

\-----------------------------------

The Loft, New York

\-----------------------------------

Kurt’s brow was raised and he could feel a sliver of his tongue escaping his mouth in concentration.  The picture of his most recent fashion prototype lay on the tracing paper in front of him.  He hunched over his desk with all his might and… his pencil snapped.  His hand fell to the paper, his palm smudging the pencil already drawn.

“Oh. Good!  With only...” he glanced at the bedside alarm clock, “eleven hours to go!”

He threw the pencil down and scraped the chair against the floor in a fit of anger.  He paced back and forth, fidgety in his hands and mind, then sat down again, knowing that he had to buck up and concentrate to get this done.

The pull of the loft’s door vibrated at his feet and he knew his work session was over.  Princess Rachel had arrived.  

“Kurt?  Kurt!  Babe, did you get my text?  Where’s my tea?”

Kurt sighed and snuck a peek at his phone.

**I’m running so late to meet the realtor.  Could you have a cup of green tea waiting for me?  Some honey?  Just have to grab the paperwork at home.  Thanks.  xx**

Kurt felt the growl fighting to explode from his insides.  He was _not_ her slave, especially when he was just as busy as she was. More busy even!

Rachel whisked the curtain so hard, Kurt’s face was hit with wind and his tracing paper fluttered to the floor. There was an actual breeze coming from the force of Rachel’s demand to be catered to.  

“You know what, Rachel?” he seethed, “I’m a little busy here.”

Rachel groaned and stomped her foot. The nerve. “Why couldn’t you just do what I say for once?” She glanced at his work on the desk. “Truth time! That’s a terrible design. I can’t even tell what it is!”  Kurt felt her hair graze the back of his neck as she leaned over him and her breath warmed his ear as she scoffed.

Kurt burst out of his chair in an outrage and it must have startled poor, little Rachel because she jumped ten feet away from him and yelped. “Truth time? You really want to play truth time?”  He popped a hip and swallowed at her instigating nod.  “Fine,” he began ticking off things on his fingers. “You’ll never be able to afford the rent at this new, fancy apartment you’re looking at yet you’re still wasting the realtor’s time to show it to you. Your morning vocal routine irritates your neighbors _and_ your roommates. You walk all over everyone else around you, including the people who are trying to be your friends…”

Rachel furrowed her brow at him, but Kurt was on a roll now so he kept going. “Oh, did you want examples? How about the way you drove Sunshine away from the New Directions, just because you were scared of losing some solos? Or the way you completely flipped out at Santana because she _dared_ to audition to be your understudy in _Funny Girl?_ You walked out on your commitment to Pamela Lansbury because of your feud with her. Did you even think about how that might affect the rest of us? How we had to re-write arrangements and redo everything for a trio instead of a quintet? She wasn’t even competition, Rachel, she was just an understudy, and when it came down to it she saved your ass too. But did you learn from it? No. You still think that your dreams and priorities matter more than anyone elses. And now today, when I have a major project due in a matter of hours, you have the audacity to be offended because I didn’t have time to make you a _cup of tea._ ”  He folded his arms and waited for her reaction.  Explosion coming in three… two… one…!

“At least I have a promising career ahead of me!” she shrieked triumphantly.

“Which you have pissed away singlehandedly by being a diva and burning bridges left, right, and center! Rachel, everything about this mess you’re in is of your own making.”

They stared at each other, both determined to win this next challenge in this friendship that felt like it had been circling the drain for years now, if either of them had the time to really think about it.

“Take it back,” Rachel whispered intensely, lowering her chin as though preparing to charge. “That is so hateful and horrible, take it back!” Her voice got high and shrill as she repeated herself again, “take it back!”

Kurt didn’t move. He hadn’t exactly planned on laying everything out to Rachel like that today, but he couldn’t help feeling a sense of smug satisfaction, because damn, it was about time that _somebody_ did it.

“I’m leaving for Lima later today, to go home for Thanksgiving, you don’t want to leave things like this…”

Kurt twisted his lips and wrinkled his nose with the smug, indifferent expression that Rachel had seen the last time he had pronounced a “truth time.”  Without a word he raised his hand in a curt “bye-bye” wave.

Rachel huffed and turned on her heel.  The loud slam of the front door being pulled shut was a clear indication that Princess Berry had left the building.  

 

\-----------------------------------

Texas

\-----------------------------------

“C’mon, Puckerman, you’ll enjoy it,” Nielsen said as he dragged Puck to a new bar on the other side of town.

“I’m not really in the mood, Nielsen.”

“But this one has karaoke!” his roommate prompted as he put the car in park. He shoved Puck in the shoulder and then hopped out before Puck could shove back. “I figure you’re always humming and singing to yourself when you think I ain’t listenin’, so I thought you might like it.”

“Seriously? Karaoke?” Puck asked as he followed him across the parking lot.

“Besides, we can’t keep going to that other place,” Nielsen continued. “The bartender doesn’t like me. I swear she spits in my drinks.”

“Maybe you shouldn’t have hit on her so much, bro.”

Nielsen grinned. “Maybe. Too late now though, we’re here!” He pushed the door open and they stepped inside. There was nothing special about the bar. It was dimly lit with loud music and a vague country feel. There was a raised area at one end with a microphone and a pair of speakers. Nobody was up there though, and Puck wondered how much this was a karaoke bar, and how much it was just a bar. He pulled out a bar stool and plopped down next to his friend.

“You know you’re gonna have to sing tonight, right?” Nielsen teased as he settled onto his own stool. “That’s why I brought you here. To get it out of your system.”

“I thought we came here because of the spitting bartender?” Puck teased back.

“Who’s a spitting bartender?” a smooth voice behind the bar asked.

“Oh nothing, it’s just he--” Puck’s train of thought derailed mid-sentence when he saw who was behind the bar. “Zizes?”

“Why Noah Puckerman, look at you!” she replied with a smirk. “Damn boy, you clean up good after all.”

“Lauren Zizes?”

“Yeah, it’s me,” she agreed. “I would ask what brings you out here, but between your haircut and the fact that your buddy here has a matching one, I’m putting my money on Air Force.”

Puck nodded. “Second year, actually.”

“Well good for you. I always wondered if you’d amount to anything.” She smiled. “First beer is on the house then.” She turned to Nielsen, “And I promise I won’t spit in it.” She winked as she popped the lids off a pair of bottles and slid them toward the airmen, then threw her towel over her shoulder and headed for the far end of the bar.

Nielsen let out a low whistle. “Hot damn, Puckerman.”

Puck side-eyed him. “What! I knew her in high school.”

“Liked her in high school too, I’ll wager.”

“Maybe.”

“Liked her a lot I think.”

“Look,” Puck explained in a low voice. “In high school I was the guy who could have any girl. Except her. So of course I wanted her. She was…” he searched for the word. “Unattainable.”

“Uh-huh.” Nielsen was looking at him funny now. “She’s nothing like Quinn.”

“No, she’s really not.”

“Hmmm.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Puck gave Nielsen a dirty look before socking him in the shoulder. “Shut up. I’m going to go sing...or something.” He took a long swig from his bottle, emptying it, and then set it on the bar and headed for the stage. He spoke briefly with the DJ who nodded and then pointed to a corner. Puck went there, and returned a minute later with a guitar. He settled onto a stool and adjusted the microphone.

“Hey folks,” he said, his microphone-enhanced voice carrying across the bar, and bringing a hush to the room. “The DJ doesn’t have this one on his machine, but he’s got an old six string here, so I’m just gonna see if I can’t pick it out myself.” He grinned lopsidedly and turned his focus to the instrument in his hands. He plucked a few strings experimentally before beginning to [sing](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85hteIFEfYs).

_Are you afraid?  
The wind is calling for the departed to rise from the grave _

The room had gone nearly silent, save for the occasional clink of a glass or bottle against a table. Karaoke night was one thing, but a full live performance was not something anyone here had expected. Puck hadn’t performed like this since high school, but as he got going, it felt good to be on a stage again.

_I am not a fugitive  
I just wanted to be free _

It was weird running into someone like Lauren: an odd mix of his past with his present. Even Quinn hadn’t visited him here just like he hadn’t been up to Yale campus. They’d always met in the middle in Ohio (on the few occasions they’d seen each other in person since getting together). Puck was such a different person from who he had been in high school, and running into Lauren--getting that flashback--had made those differences stand out in his mind more than usual. It was a little unsettling.

The ground is the future, the past is the ledge  
crossing the desert, a desperate measure  
but life will be better, isn't that what you said?

There were things Puck needed to deal with, and he knew it. Things about his life, and his relationships. He had made a good change when he joined the Air Force, but he was still doing some things out of fear and habit. He needed to stop ignoring the facts and take some action.

Puck let the last chord slowly fade away. He set the guitar down and walked back to the bar. The quiet that had fallen over the room while he sang slowly subsided as a murmuring chatter resumed. Nielsen was staring at him.

“Bro, you are bringin’ down my night!”

Puck shrugged. “Sorry?”

“I’m gonna go hang with some of the other guys for a bit, ok?”

“Sure,” Puck waved him off as he settled back onto his stool and waited for Lauren to wander over.

“You still got it,” she murmured when she got there.

“I guess.”

“Look, if you’re going to get like this when you’re drunk, then I am cutting you off!” She announced. “But, seeing as you've only had one beer so far, I don’t think it’s the alcohol singing tonight, is it,” she added, more gently.

“Naw. It’s my girlfriend.”

“‘Cause I’ve never had a guy here say _that_ before!” Lauren huffed and rolled her eyes at him. “Some girl from base?”

“Nope,” Puck looked up at her. “Some girl from home actually. I’ve been dating Quinn for over a year.”

“Oh you didn’t!”

“Yeah, I did.”

“For more than a year? That’s impressive. I mean for you.”

He gave her a dirty look as he took a drink from his beer.

“Long distance, huh?”

“Yeah.”

“That sucks.”

“I know.” He smiled wryly at her. Maybe coming here wasn’t such a bad idea after all. “So what have you been up to? Once upon a time you had dreams of glory…”

“Ahh, yes, well.” Lauren pursed her lips and stared intently at the glass she was polishing. “Well, I’m wrestling. I guess it counts as professional because I’m getting paid, but obviously this--” she gestured around herself “--is what’s paying the bills.”

“Really?” Puck asked, genuinely interested. “You really did it? You’re wrestling professionally?”

“Yep.” She nodded her head in two sharp bobs. “I haven’t started my own perfume line yet though, so there’s still room to move up in the world.”

He snorted. “Obviously!”

 

\-----------------------------------

Lima, Ohio

\-----------------------------------

Rachel sat at the end of her bed with one dad on either side, and broke down.

“I don’t know what happened! I mean Kurt has been my best friend for years,” Rachel sobbed. “I don’t understand why he would act like this to me. There was no reason, he just snapped.”

LeRoy and Hiram’s eyes met over their daughter’s head as she burrowed into LeRoy’s shoulder. Hiram cleared his throat.

“Um, Rachel, have you ever thought that maybe there was a reason?”

Her head snapped up and she stared at her father in disbelief. “What?”

“We’ve known Kurt for years, honey, and he’s always seemed like a fairly reasonable and level-headed guy. He’s been there by your side for years, and he’s been supportive and caring through a lot of things. We were so glad when you two moved in together because we knew you’d have someone who really cared for you even though we were far away.”

“I can’t believe you’re taking his side!” Rachel shrieked, aghast. She leaned back into LeRoy, as if to demonstrate that at least _he_ still supported her. Hiram rolled his eyes at his husband. _She’s all yours._

LeRoy took a breath before plunging in. “Rachel, we’re not taking sides. We’re just saying that maybe Kurt had some valid points. Sometimes the sign of real love is being able to give them tough love.”

Rachel pulled away from him now too, staring back and forth between the two as she tried to make sense of what she was hearing.

“No, no way, I don’t believe it,” she stammered. “I am not a horrible person. I’m just a driven person, and not everyone understands me.” She paused for a moment before adding softly, “I thought Kurt did.”

“We didn’t say you’re a bad person,” Hiram consoled her, rubbing his hand back and forth across her shoulders. “You’re not, you’re really not. It’s just that sometimes you let your ambition get in the way of your relationships, and that choice has consequences.”

Rachel looked at her father, and then at her other father, and opened her mouth to retort, but couldn’t think of anything to say. She pulled her feet up onto the bed and hugged her legs, resting her chin on her knees.

“You know where to find us if you need us,” Hiram said, giving her a hug before rising to his feet and heading for the door. LeRoy gave her a final squeeze and followed his husband out. Rachel sat in an abject heap on the edge of her bed, thinking over all they had discussed as she began to [softly sing](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0y6zsxneu6g).

_Where do we go from here?  
This isn't where we intended to be. _

Rachel had certainly had it all for a while there, but then it had all fallen apart. Now that she thought about it, looking back over the ups and downs of the last few years, often her friends had believed in her more than she had believed in herself. She had to admit she was pretty lucky.

_What do we do for our dream to survive  
How do we keep all our passions alive as we used to do? _

Everything was confusing now. It was scary.

If she was really such a bad friend, why did her friends stick around? That was when it hit her: they weren’t her friends because they wanted a support team or backup. They were her friends because they actually cared about her: Rachel Berry.

_How can I be any use to now?  
Give me a chance and I'll let you see how nothing has changed. _

She could do this, she could show them that she was someone worth being friends with.

_Frightened you'll slip away  
You must love me _

She leaned against the bedpost as she let the final line echo through her head

_You must love me_

She whispered it the last time, a feeling of wonder and gratitude flowing over her.

_You must love me_

\-----------------------------------

The Loft, New York

\-----------------------------------

“I’m sorry Mercedes, that really sucks,” Kurt sympathized, balancing the phone between his ear and shoulder as he moved around the room, straightening things up. Blaine would be home from class soon and after this long week he was ready for some quality time with his fiancé.

“Part of the reason I agreed to do this concert on Thanksgiving--and miss seeing my family--was because they were going to film it and play it as a special on a local station!” Mercedes moaned. “But the station producer backed out and there’s nothing I can do about it.”

“Sometimes that’s the price of success: time away from the ones you love.”

She sighed. “I know. And I _am_ really happy to be doing this holiday concert. We can still record some of the songs and release them to iTunes. Now that I have two albums out it should make some sales.”

“Look at you, with songs on iTunes!” Kurt couldn’t help but smile as he stacked the magazines neatly on the coffee table and then stood up to look around the room at his handiwork.

“I know, I shouldn’t complain really. But my mom and granny Jo came out to see me last week, and seeing them reminded me of how much I miss my family.”

“Your granny Jo is hilarious,” Kurt agreed, settling himself into the couch. “And I know what you mean, we’re not going to Ohio this year either because we’re trying to save money, but I really wish I could see my dad...”

“At least you and Blaine have each other,” Mercedes pointed out.

“Right, yes, we do,” Kurt conceded, smiling as the loft door slid open and Blaine walked in, as if on cue. “Hi,” Kurt mouthed silently to Blaine, patting the couch next to him.

Blaine dropped his bag by the door to deal with later, and darted right to the couch where he could snuggle into Kurt’s side. He was home now and he intended to see to it that Kurt didn’t stay on the phone much longer.

“Well Mercedes, I need to go. But it’s good talking to you. I miss having you around. Say hi to Britt for us, and Santana when you see her I guess.”

Kurt only halfway heard what Mercedes said in response because Blaine had started kissing his neck and he was not taking it easy.

“Sure, yeah,” Kurt managed to get out as Blaine nuzzled and nipped his way over, pushing until Kurt had to slide down underneath the other man. “Thanks ‘Cedes. Keep me posted?”

Blaine was working his way up to Kurt’s ear, and when his tongue came out Kurt couldn’t hold back a minute moan. Blaine sat up with a pleased expression on his face.

Kurt giggled and cleared his throat, shooting a look of warning toward Blaine. “Ok, well Blaine is here now so I need to go. Bye.” His eye was on the man beside him and his thumb was on the ‘end’ button almost before he had finished the last word.

Kurt threw the phone against the cushion and tackled Blaine. Their kisses were eager and carefree as though they were still teenagers, and not practically an old married couple. But they had always been that way (even when they were broken up). It was several minutes before they started to sweat and pant and they finally separated to catch their breaths.

“You can’t just attack me when I’m on the phone, Blaine. God.”  In spite of his words, Kurt was grinning and his eyes shone brightly; Blaine had the thought that this was a perfect moment.  

Blaine shrugged. “Maybe I can’t, but I just did.” He pecked Kurt on the neck again just because he could, then separated his body from Kurt’s and tilted his head.  “How’s Mercedes?”

“Fine. Brittany’s staying with her right now.”  

After a stressful week and then all day of being away Blaine couldn’t keep his hands off Kurt.  He took his hand and played with his fingers as they talked. “What? But Santana-”

“...was evidently a huge bitch to Brittany and she just needed to cool off for a while without her. Something about trust and Santana accusing her of not being committed to their relationship.”

Blaine nodded. Fights were nothing new with those two, but he also felt a pang of familiarity. It wasn’t so long ago that he and Kurt had struggled with some similar things.

“I mean, I get it,” Kurt continued. “Trust can be hard, even if you want to. Especially if someone lies to you once or twice, it’s really hard...”  Kurt trailed off, but Blaine knew perfectly well that Kurt was speaking from personal experience, and he also knew exactly who he was referring to.

“Kurt,” He began.

Kurt sighed. He hadn’t meant to open up that can of worms again. “I’ve told you that I trust you, Blaine, and I meant it. I meant it then and I mean it now.” He patted Blaine’s knee and smiled encouragingly.

“But I’ve lied to you, and about big things,” Blaine pulled back, shifting his weight and facing away from Kurt. “And I cheated on you.”

“I love you, Blaine!” Kurt’s eyes went wide. This was not where he had expected this conversation to go _at all_. “That’s all in the past. I’ve forgiven you. We’ve moved on! Yes, sometimes my insecurities get the best of me, but I choose to trust you every day.”

“Yeah,” Blaine huffed, getting up and walking to the other side of the room, gesturing broadly. “You have to _make_ yourself do it. It’s still hard for you to trust me.” Blaine felt his emotions fraying at the edges, like he was starting to lose control. He couldn’t help but still feel hurt about it. What more could he do to prove himself?

“Well, can you really blame me?”  Kurt murmured softly.

“What?”

“You did cheat on me, Blaine,” Kurt said, standing resolutely. “I had been gone for a matter of weeks and you _cheated_ on me. And it was only a few months ago that you lied to me about the showcase with June...” Kurt looked away and down, wrapping his arms around himself defensively before taking a deep breath. “This isn’t about us. I don’t want to fight about this.”

“Again. You don’t want to fight about something again,” Blaine was upset now and his voice was getting louder. “Dammit, Kurt. I thought we’d been through this. I thought you’d forgiven me. I’ve apologized so many times. I regret it every day.”

“I _have_ forgiven you...” Kurt’s voice was getting higher as he got upset.

“So why are you bringing it up?”

“Because forgiving doesn’t mean that I’ve forgotten all about it. It still _happened_. It affects the way I think about relationships now. I mean, I forgave people who bullied me, for example, but that doesn’t mean I hang out with them. Even though it’s been years since high school, on some level I wouldn’t feel safe around those people, you know?”

“Did you just compare me to a bully?” Blaine asked incredulously. Arguing was one thing, but throwing around that kind of accusation was hitting below the belt.

“That’s not what I was trying to say...” Kurt huffed in frustration. God, he _really_ wished this conversation had not gone this direction.

“Kurt, it sounds like you’re saying that because I made one mistake one time that you’re going to spend the rest of your life worrying that I’m going to cheat again.”

Kurt pursed his lips and took a deep breath.

“It was a rough time for both of us,” Kurt acknowledged. “I had just moved out on my own, I was busy and distracted and adjusting to _so_ many things…” he looked up and met Blaine’s gaze. “I know I wasn’t being a very good long-distance boyfriend.”

Blaine inhaled sharply as the tears welled up. He knew that Kurt had realized his part in the break-up long ago, but he hadn’t ever said it out loud until now.

“I know you were lonely, Blaine,” Kurt continued.

“That’s not a justification for what I did,” Blaine interjected, shaking his head.

“No,” Kurt agreed, “it’s not. But we were in a long distance relationship, and that’s something that’s so, so hard. It takes a lot of work and I don’t think either of us was ready for it. We didn’t do a very good job of it. Either of us.”

“I was trying,” Blaine said softly. “At least at first. But you didn’t answer my calls, and you brushed me off, like, all the time. I knew you were busy, but how often did you even call me? Think of me? I was _always_ initiating. And you would say that you’d call back, but then you wouldn’t. Busy is one thing, but I felt like you were not really trying to keep us together.”

“Yeah, I know,” Kurt sighed. Now he was feeling guilty about the whole thing again, and he really didn’t want to go there either. “Do we have to keep talking about this right now?” He was ready for this conversation to be over.

“Relationships are complicated,” Blaine offered, taking a step toward him and reaching for his hand.

Kurt nodded, keeping his hand to himself and heading for the bathroom.

“No!” Blaine said with surprising sharpness. Kurt was startled into focused attentiveness. “Don’t you walk away from me right now, Kurt Hummel. This is something that we’ve needed to get into the open for a long time. You don’t like to fight, and while I appreciate that, it also means that you bottle up your feelings, and you pull away from me when there are problems. That is what started the problems then, and I am not going to let it happen again. Not when we’ve come so far.” He waited there in the living room, staring Kurt down as though daring him to disagree.

Kurt turned around but stayed where he was, looking at Blaine with pursed lips.

“I’m afraid of losing you.”

“You think I will hurt you again.” It wasn’t a question.

“I…” Kurt hesitated. Blaine was staring at him with challenge in his eyes, daring him to answer.

“No,” Kurt said finally. “I don’t really...because I _do_ trust you. But nobody can ever really _know,_ you know? If someone had told me before that day that it would happen to us I would never have believed them. But it happened. So yeah, I get scared, ok?” Kurt’s eyes were glistening and his voice had started to crack. He looked like he was about to break.

Blaine didn’t reply, but he let out a long slow exhale. Kurt knew he was biting his tongue, giving him a chance to finish.

“I love you, Blaine--I have all along. And it is hard for me to trust you sometimes, but I am choosing to trust you _anyway._ Because I believe in you, and I believe in us.” Kurt slowly made his way back toward Blaine as he spoke. “And every day that you choose me, and I choose you, that fear gets a little smaller. I don’t know if it will ever go away entirely. But I’m choosing you, and so far as I can tell you are choosing me--”

Blaine nodded vigorously, “And I am doing the same thing. That is what is different now. That is how I know that what happened before will not happen again. Because if you try to pull away from me in the future I am going to come after you.”

“Like you did just now?” Kurt asked with a small smile.

“Like I did just now.”  Blaine grinned.

“So we won’t ever go to bed angry. We’ll always stay up and fight.”

“If necessary.”

“Of course.”

“Of course.”

“You’re kinda sexy when you’re all… flustered, frustrated,” Kurt murmured in a low voice, pressing his body against Blaine’s and nudging him toward their bedroom.

“What about…” Blaine gestured vaguely in the direction of the kitchen. “I’m actually pretty hungry…”

“It can wait,” Kurt declared, pulling on his arm with a determined look on his face. “Some things are more important than food!”

“I have been on my feet all day, Kurt!” Blaine grinned, pulling back. “I am _really_ hungry. C’mon, we can just cook up something fast.”

Kurt paused with a hand on his hip. “Hmmmm, I guess it’s not a bad idea to build up our strength first, huh.” He chuckled and winked.

“Definitely,” Blaine said with a serious look as he opened the fridge and started rummaging through the contents. “From the way you’re looking at me right now, I think I’m going to need every calorie!”

 

\-----------------------------------

A park near Santana’s apartment, Los Angeles

\-----------------------------------

Santana paced back and forth, waiting for Brittany to arrive. She pulled out her cell phone and checked the time again. It had been less than a minute since the last time she checked it. Damn. Santana was feeling impatient, even though Brittany wasn’t even late yet. Santana had just been here early. Really early. Forty-five minutes early, actually.

She sat down on the bench and used her teeth to rip open the top of the little bag of peanuts she had brought for the squirrels. Brittany liked feeding squirrels. Santana tossed a few peanuts on the ground. A squirrel scampered over toward them, but then stopped, side-eyeing Santana before running away.

“Not even the squirrels like me,” she muttered.

“They might if you would smile at them,” a soft voice said from behind her.

“Brittany!” Santana started to stand up but Brittany shook her head as she came around the bench and sat next to her.

“It’s not just what you do, you know,” Brittany said softly, brushing her hair behind her ear as she settled into her seat, staring out at the peanuts scattered on the ground in front of them, “the way that you do a thing matters too.”

“Britt,” Santana tried.

“You were scared about something. And that’s ok. I’m not mad at you for being scared. But it’s not ok for you to yell at me and accuse me of things that you made up in your own head.”

“Britt, I’m sor--”

“It makes you look like a crazy person,” Brittany added seriously, finally turning to face her.

Santana stared at her, unsure how to respond to that.

"You were really mean to me," Brittany said bluntly. "I don't want to be with someone who is mean to me. I broke up with Artie because he called me stupid _one time._ Nobody should have to be with someone who is mean to them."

Santana nodded, wide-eyed. God, she hadn’t ever meant to be mean to Brittany. She loved Brittany. It’s just that sometimes her habit of being bitchy to everyone was hard to set aside, even for someone she cared about.

“You have to work on that,” Brittany continued.

“I’m sorry Britt,” Santana finally got out. “I didn’t mean--”

“Sure you did,” Brittany answered with a flip of her hair. “You meant all the things you said. I know you didn’t really want to hurt me, but you did mean all the things you said.”

“I--”

Brittany reached out and took Santana’s hands. “Next time you are feeling scared or hurt, you have to tell me that you are scared or hurt, not blame me for causing it. Mercedes says it’s called ‘I statements’ and that it helps people to talk about their feelings instead of just fighting.”

Santana nodded. “Ok, I think I can do that.”

“Repeat after me,” Brittany prompted. “I get scared when you hang out with other people because I’m afraid that you want to sleep with all of them.”

“Britt--”

“Santana,” she said warningly.

“Ok, fine, I get scared when you hang out with other people because I’m afraid that…”

“...That you want to sleep with all of them,” Brittany prompted.

“That you want to sleep with all of them,” Santana sighed.

“And I get scared when you yell at me because I really love you and I don’t like fighting,” Brittany replied softly. She still held Santana’s hands, and she stared deeply into her eyes for a moment before winking and suddenly [breaking into song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfWlot6h_JM).

I stay up too late  
Got nothing in my brain  
That's what people say

Brittany pulled Santana to her feet. Santana didn’t have a problem with dancing in public, but she preferred to have a choreographed routine to work with. It gave her more control. Brittany, however, was a full-energy improvisor, and as she started twisting and bouncing it was all Santana could do to keep up.

Cause the players gonna play, play, play  
And the haters gonna hate, hate, hate  
Baby I'm just gonna shake, shake, shake  
Shake it off

Santana had never had very many friends. Not real friends anyway. Snixx saw to that. People were nice to her because they feared her, not because they liked her. She had relished the power of that, but it did make her lonely. Brittany was calling her out on some habits that would be hard to change, but she had to admit that the changes were probably going to make her life better.

She stepped up onto the park bench, spread her hands wide, and sang back down to her girlfriend.

I never miss a beat  
I'm lighting up my feet  
And that's what they don't see

A small crowd had gathered, drawn by the catchy music. As the girlfriends began the final chorus others started to dance with them, joining in the singing and adding their own unique dance moves to the mix.

_Baby I'm just gonna shake, shake, shake_

Santana couldn’t stop smiling. This was not at all how she had imagined this day going. It was so much better. It might not be all better yet, but at least she felt like she knew what direction to go next.

_Shake it off, Shake it off_

Brittany and Santana collapsed together on the bench as the crowd dispersed, breathless and grinning.

“I love you Brittany,” Santana murmured in her ear.

“Good use of an ‘I statement,’” Brittany whispered back. Then she pointed to a squirrel sitting on a low tree branch near them, chittering angrily. “I think we may have given him post-dramatic stress disorder when we danced on his peanuts. Do you have any more?”

Santana just laughed as she passed over the bag.

 

  
\-----------------------------------

A gym in Lima, Ohio

\-----------------------------------

Rachel dropped her bag on the floor next to the treadmill. One of her dads had suggested that a little exercise might help her clear her head, and that some endorphins might help lift her mood, so she was here to give it a try. She set her water bottle in the cupholder and was grabbing her ipod to look for a good playlist when she heard a familiar voice.

“It’s just a lot of pressure, you know?”

She looked around, trying to locate where the voice was coming from, and discovered Sam Evans and Jake Puckerman lifting weights in the corner behind her. Quietly she set her ipod back in her bag and turned on the treadmill to the lowest setting so that she could listen while she walked.

What?! She wasn’t snooping, she was just a person keeping track of what her friends were doing.

“I dunno, I guess I never thought about it much,” Jake answered with a shrug. “I mean, everybody has a first time, right. It’s usually a little awkward, but then hey, you’re having sex, so people get over it. I don’t think about my first time very often.”

“Yeah, but this is different, bro,” Sam huffed, puffing his cheeks out as he lifted the heavy bar again. “I mean, Mercedes isn’t just some girl. She’s waiting for marriage, so there’s like all of this other stuff surrounding it. If I’m going to be that guy for her, which I want to be, then I just feel, like, all this pressure to be really good at it. And now I’ve been waiting for her, so it’s been a really long time, and I don’t know how much longer it will be, so…”

“Sam,” Jake barked, getting his attention. “It’s not like people forget how to have sex.”

Rachel nearly fell off the back of the treadmill, catching her balance just in time to avoid making a scene.

“Are you sure?” Sam asked with concern.

“Yeah, I’m pretty sure,” Jake grinned, and Sam exhaled in relief.

“But you’re waiting for her? That’s cool of you man. I mean, that’s like, super hard. I tried to wait for a girl once but it didn’t work out.”

“You mean Marley,” Sam interrupted.

“Yeah.”

“It’s really hard,” Sam agreed. “I mean I guess it’s not as bad now that we’re far apart, but when we were living together in New York, we were sharing a bedroom. We were sharing a bed!”

“And you never…?” Jake asked incredulously.

“Nope.” Sam set the large barbell back in it’s cradle and got up from the bench, grabbing some smaller hand weights.

“Damn! You are serious about this girl!”

“Yeah,” Sam smiled as he thought back over some of their recent conversations. “Yeah, I really am. I would do anything for her.”

“In that case, I’m pretty sure you’re going to be fine.” Jake slapped Sam on the back in standard bro fashion. “If she’s never been with anyone else then at least you won’t have to worry about,” he cleared his throat and waggled his eyebrows, “measuring up!”

“What?” Sam gaped.

“Well, you know what they say about Black men and their physical, uh, gifts…” He thrust his pelvis suggestively.

Sam looked down at his lap and up at Jake, then down and up again with wide eyes. “Crap, I hadn’t even thought about that! I wonder if I should get one of those supplements or something.”

“Relax, Sam. I’m just teasing you bro! It’s not something you need to worry about!” Jake laughed. “Seriously!”

Sam stared at him, unsure of whether to believe him or not.

“I’m gonna hit the showers,” Jake announced, setting his weights back on the rack. “I have a shift in half an hour so I’ve got to go.”

“Yeah, ok, bye.” Sam stood awkwardly, his arms pumping up and down rhythmically on instinct for a few more minutes before he set down the hand weights and went for his own gym bag. He grabbed out his water bottle and took a long swallow, gulping noisily before wiping his arm across his mouth. He was putting the bottle back when his cell phone started ringing. He grabbed it and took it to the leg machine.

“Blaine! Hey!”

Rachel could only hear one side of the conversation, but she still listened intently. This eavesdropping had gotten far more juicy than she had intended, and now she couldn’t bear to stop.

“Oh it’s no biggie, I’m just at the gym.”

“No, this is fine. Actually I want your opinion about something.”

“So, uh, this is kind of awkward, but I don’t really know anyone else I can talk to about this, so…”

There was a pause as Blaine said something.

“How do I know if I’m normal?”

Another pause

Sam hesitated, trying to explain himself. “I mean like, _down there_ , how do I know if I’m normal sized? I know it’s a weird question to ask, but we are besties, right? And we lived together too so it’s not like there’s a lot of secrets between us. I figure if there’s anyone I can ask it’s you,” Sam gestured awkwardly, even though obviously Blaine couldn’t see him. “Plus since you’re gay and everything then you probably just know more about that stuff than me, so like you are the perfect person to ask.” He was trying to whisper now, which ironically meant that his voice had actually gotten louder.

A longer pause now, with just the quiet _clank! clank!_ of the machine as Sam pumped his legs in and out.

“Well things are starting to get serious with Mercedes again I think--”

“Yeah, it _is_ great, but you know how we’ve been waiting, and I’m getting nervous that when we get there she’s going to be disappointed with my…”

Sam grunted as he lifted the weight over and over, listening to Blaine talk. Rachel would have given anything to know what Blaine was saying to him! Finally Sam sighed.

“Thanks bro, that makes me feel a lot better.” He smiled as he hung up the phone, grabbed his bag, and headed for the showers.

Rachel stood there staring at where he had been. So much for a workout, but she still felt like she’d gotten something out of this trip. She had encouraged other people before, of course. And been encouraged by them. But she could not remember having had an interaction that was so free of judgment, or ego. Jake and Sam obviously had different opinions about sex, but Jake had supported Sam in what was important to _him._ Sam’s conversation with Blaine had been all kinds of awkward, and yet apparently Blaine had just talked with Sam about his worries and Sam seemed to feel better for it. How did people do that anyway?

Rachel grabbed her bag and her water bottle and headed for the locker room to change. She watched a woman there helping another woman get her headphones untangled. _Maybe it’s about teamwork_ , she realized. _Maybe it’s about working together as equals_. Rachel Berry had spent her whole life wanting to be a star. Being a star meant having backup, and so naturally everyone around her had been just that. Rachel thought about all the bridges she had burned on her climb toward stardom. _Attempted stardom_ , she reminded herself as she changed her clothes. She really had spent her life stepping on other people to try to get a little higher in the world. What if, just maybe, she could get higher still by working _with_ people instead of _against_ them? It was a sobering thought, and one that made Rachel feel awkward in so many ways.

But she could do this. She could be a team player. She could be a better friend. Sharing the stage didn’t have to mean mean giving up a chance at the spotlight.

Rachel took a deep breath and zipped her bag shut. These changes would probably be hard to make, but she could do it. At the very least she was going to try.

 

\-----------------------------------

Rachel’s room, Lima, Ohio, the next day

\-----------------------------------

Rachel cleared her throat, and pressed the button to connect the call. When she’d texted Kurt that she wanted to skype, his response had been brief.

**call at 7**

She should have known that this “being a better friend” thing wasn’t going to be easy. But Kurt had been by her side for years, and making up with him was a priority.

“Hi,” he said as the feed came through. He was sitting stiffly on his chair, with Blaine beside him, as though he wanted a witness or maybe moral support for whatever came next.

“Kurt, I’m sorry,” she blurted. “You have been supporting and taking care of me for years, and I have been a horrible friend to you.” Tears were starting to spring to her eyes already. Damn, this was not going to be pretty.

“Oh Rachel,” Kurt sighed.

“I do need to say one thing,” Rachel amended, sitting up straighter and clearing her throat. “I am sorry for the way I acted to you the other day--and for years really--but you really hurt my feelings. I know that you were telling me the truth,” she rushed on, “but it hurt to have it thrown in my face like that.”

Kurt pursed his lips. Only someone who really knew him would have recognized that he did it to keep his own emotions from springing to his face. “Rachel, I’m sorry I was so harsh. I was under a lot of stress and I was not tactful. I could have been more sensitive.”

“He told me about what happened,” Blaine interjected, “and he did feel bad for being so blunt with you. But I could tell he was also relieved to have had some of those things off his chest. It’s like you said, he has been by your side through thick and thin for more than five years. I know sometimes it’s been a competition, but Kurt has always had your back, and you have just walked all over him and his generosity.”

Kurt clamped his mouth shut. He hadn’t intended to tell Rachel all that (sweet Blaine, getting all protective of him), but he had to admit he was glad that she was hearing it. She _had_ always been a very needy friend who took more than she’d ever given back. Kurt had bonded with her as someone whose dreams matched his own, but Blaine was right that it had never been a very balanced relationship.

“Was it?” Rachel asked quietly. “Was it a relief to say it all?”

Kurt gazed at her and slowly nodded.

“You haven’t done that very often, have you. Tell me everything you’re actually thinking.” It wasn’t a question, but Kurt shook his head anyway.

“I’m glad it happened then,” Rachel sniffed. “I was in a sensitive state already, and it was really bad timing, but it was probably important for you to say those things to me.”

Kurt furrowed his brows and squinted at her, speechless. This didn’t sound like the Rachel Berry he knew.

“I’m beginning to learn what it takes to be a good friend,” Rachel continued, “and to realize that I haven’t really been one very much. I want to try to be better about that, but I just haven’t known how. But this conversation is helping me realize that if I can look at things from the other person’s point of view, it really helps.”

Kurt nodded, a genuine smile spreading across his face.

“You know,” Rachel said, “it’s probably a good thing we had this conversation on skype.”

“Why?” Kurt asked. “I was just thinking it was inconvenient because I’d like to hug you right now!”

“That’s exactly why!” Rachel declared with a light in her eyes. “Usually we skip right to the hugging and comforting part and don’t take the time for real deep conversations. Talking on skype helped us have a more intimate conversation than we would have in person.”

Kurt stared at her for a moment, until he heard Blaine stifle a giggle at his side. The corners of Kurt’s mouth twitched for a moment before they both broke out in loud laughter at the same time.

“My _god_ , Rachel Berry, you do say the most awkward things,” Blaine wheezed after a minute.

Rachel looked back and forth between them, trying to figure out what she had missed.

Kurt gasped as he caught his breath. “As someone who has been in a long-distance engagement, let me just tell you that you can’t say ‘intimate’ and ‘skype’ in the same sentence to me ever again, ok?”

Blaine lost it again, burying his face in Kurt’s shoulder in a failed attempt to stifle it. He managed to be quiet, but his body was still shaking with laughter.

“Wow, I walked right into that one, didn’t I,” Rachel muttered, a smile playing at the corners of her own lips. “Ahem, well, anyway, moving on!”

Blaine took a deep breath and regained his composure, more or less. .

“Soooo,” Kurt said awkwardly.

“Do you think,” Rachel asked hesitantly, “now that we’ve cleared the air and made up, can I cry on your shoulder a little?”

“Aww, Rachel, of course.” Kurt side-eyed Blaine and then looked at Rachel again. “That might be awkward with the computer screens between us, but I’m sure we can figure something out,” he smirked.

Rachel smiled in spite of her otherwise sad expression. “I have been moping around at home all week being depressed and feeling like a loser. I gave up so many things to keep moving up, but here I am back where I started,” Rachel moaned.

“Hey,” Kurt soothed. “You still have what you’ve had from the start: talent, passion, and family and friends who love and support you.” Blaine nodded vigorously. “So,” Kurt continued, “take those things and do what you’ve always done: get back out there and show the world that you are a star!”

“Plus you are very attractive,” Blaine added with a wink.

Kurt’s eyebrow shot up as he turned to stare at his fiancé, while Rachel’s jaw dropped. Blaine looked back and forth between the two of them. “What?” he said defensively. “I may be gay but I’m not blind. I can make objective observations!”

Kurt chuckled first, then Rachel giggled.

“Oh my god, Blaine!” Kurt teased him. “Are you _flirting_ with Rachel!”

“Don’t worry, dear,” Blaine replied in a clipped accent. “I’m not turning bi for her, just in case you were still worried about that.” He waggled his eyebrows, and they all three crumbled into another round of laughter. Blaine was cracking up so hard that he nearly fell into Kurt’s lap, and within moments Kurt’s hands were starting to wander past Blaine’s belt line...

“I think maybe I should get out of your hair now…” Rachel said carefully, realizing that they would probably prefer to be alone, and that a good friend would leave them to it. She had so much more she could say, but that would keep for another day.

“Goodnight Rachel,” Kurt flashed her an appreciative look.

“Goodnight Raa-aahhhhh!” Blaine cried as Kurt went for his neck.

The screen went black.

Rachel sat back and smiled to herself. Maybe this wasn’t quite so hard as she had feared it would be. With a relieved sigh she settled down into her chair and smiled.

 

\-----------------------------------

Hummel Tire & Lube, Lima, Ohio

\-----------------------------------

Sam was intently tinkering under the hood of an old truck when Rachel walked into the shop.

“Hey Rach, what’s up?” he asked with a grunt as he tightened a bolt.

She sighed.

“That good, huh?”

She smiled wryly. “I feel like I’ve destroyed all the good things I had around me, and it took me so long to realize it, and now I’m trying to start rebuilding them but I don’t know if I know how to do it right.”

“Rachel, you’re a good person. Just because you’ve made mistakes or even done things you regret doesn’t mean that you can’t start fresh,” Sam grinned as he set down the wrench and wiped his greasy hands on a rag (which didn’t make a difference in how dirty they were), then started to [sing to her](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0y7ygEDRpSo).

_All her life she has seen  
All the meaner side of mean _

Rachel realized that, as much stress and hurt as she might have in her own life, everyone else had those things to deal with too. She took a deep breath, smiled, and sang back to him.

_All his life he's been told  
He’ll be nothing when he’s old _

As the music soared Sam held his hands out to Rachel. Normally she would have politely declined, after all his hands were dirty and his coveralls had grease on them. But she remembered her resolve to be a better friend, to build bridges instead of burning them, and to think more about other’s feelings. So she reached out and grasped his hands with a smile as they sang together.

_When you've been fighting for it all your life_   
_You've been struggling to make things right_   
_That’s how a superhero learns to fly_

Sam’s grin filled his face. He held her at arms length, spinning them around each other until they were both dizzy and laughing between lines of the song.

Sam did a couple of body rolls out of habit. Rachel doubled over in a fit of giggles, clutching her belly which was starting to hurt from laughing so much.

_'Cause he’s stronger than you know  
A heart of steel starts to grow _

“You know, Sam, she thinks about you all the time.”

“What? How do you know?” How did Rachel know what he was thinking about?

“I’ve been that girl who was away from the man she loved. I just know.”

Sam couldn’t help smiling bashfully as he dropped his head but looked at her up through his eyelashes. “You think so?”

Rachel nodded.

_That’s how a superhero learns to fly_

So many things in Sam’s life had been uncertain for so long. He wanted a lady to adore, he wanted a stable job, he wanted a family. Suddenly, even though none of those things were perfectly in place yet, he felt a sense of hope that they were all right around the corner.

Rachel knew she had a long road ahead of her, but she also knew that she wasn’t going to have to walk it alone.

 _'Cause they've taken too much hits_   
  
_Now light a match, stand back, watch them explode_

 

Sam knew that in choosing Mercedes things wouldn’t be easy, but he also felt certain that it was worth it, and he was glad that he had supportive friends around him.

Sam felt better than he had felt in days, and it got even better when Rachel hugged him.

_That’s a how a superhero learns to fly_   
_Every day, every hour_   
_Turn the pain into power_

“Uh, careful, that looks like a nice jacket and I’m kind of covered in--”

“A jacket can be washed,” Rachel declared. “Sometimes a person just needs to hug someone.”

Sam’s crooked smile bloomed across his face again.

“Thanks, Rach.”

“You know, Sam, I have learned something over the last couple of years.”

“What’s that?”

“When I was in high school, I always knew that I didn’t belong in Lima. I always knew that I was going to go to somewhere bigger, somewhere brighter. I always knew that I was going to be a star.”

Sam nodded, unsure where she was going with this, or what it had to do with him.

“When I got to New York, it still wasn’t home.”

“Huh? I thought you were happy there.”

Rachel shook her head. “I mean, yes, I was, but it still wasn’t home. And so I kept looking, and I gave up everything to go to LA, and that was definitely not home.”

“I don’t get it. What’s home?”

“Home is the people you love, Sam. When I had Finn, being with him was home. Did you know I considered giving up New York to be with him?”

Sam’s eyes got wide and his mouth dropped open.

“Obviously I still went. And we even broke up for a while. But I know we would have ended up back together eventually. Because we were meant to be.”

“So, now that he’s, you know… does that mean you’re homeless?”

It was Rachel’s turn to half-smile. “No, it just means that I haven’t found my home yet.” Rachel took a deep breath before continuing. “And that’s ok, because I still have people around me who love me, and I don’t have to have everything figured out right now, because we can take care of each other.”

This time Sam grabbed Rachel and pulled her into a close hug.

“Thanks Rachel. I needed to hear that today.”

“You’re welcome, Sam. I did too.”

 

\-----------------------------------

The Loft, New York

\-----------------------------------

“Are you ready for this?”

Blaine nodded as Kurt adjusted the webcam again. “So long as I have you, I think I can do anything.”

Kurt smiled as he clicked the call button.

The computer screen blurred for a moment and then came into focus on the interior of Richard Anderson’s home office.

“Hello Blaine, Kurt,” Pam smiled. Rich sat beside and slightly behind his wife. He looked stern.

“Hi Mom, Dad,” Blaine smiled through his nerves. “We have talked, a lot, like you asked us to, and we’ve come to a decision.”

Pam was nodding. “And?”

Kurt squeezed Blaine’s hand as Blaine lifted his chin and said, “We’re getting married on May 31, 2015.”

Pamela and Richard looked at each other for a long moment before turning back to their son and soon-to-be son-in-law.

“We know you’re worried about a lot of things,” Kurt added gently, “and they are valid concerns, and as parents you have a right to voice them to us.” Blaine was nodding. “But,” Kurt continued, “this is our choice, and we have made it.”

“I won’t say that I don’t have reservations…” Rich began. “But I guess my reservations never stopped you before...” Pam elbowed him sharply in the ribs. Kurt raised an eyebrow and smirked as he realized why Blaine was so responsive to elbow jabs.

“We missed your engagement and I regret that,” Pam said, glaring back at her husband for a moment before turning to the boys again. “There is no way we would miss your wedding, even if we’re a little uncomfortable about the timing.”

“Thanks Mom,” Blaine breathed, relieved that this had been much smoother than he had feared it could be. Richard Anderson cleared his throat. “Thanks Dad,” Blaine added. “I love you guys.”

“We love you too,” Pam smiled.

“Boys, I know we’ve had a lot of awkwardness and whatnot through these last few weeks,” Richard said, leaning in close to the camera as though that could help him make better eye contact with each of them. “But we’d really like to try to make a fresh start about it all. Come spend Thanksgiving with us.”

“Oh, we can’t,” Blaine began, “we have classes the day before--” “Last minute flights are so expensive,” Kurt added.

“We insist,” Rich boomed. “I will get your tickets and email them to you tonight. We want to spend time with you.”

“And maybe, if you’ll let me, we can talk about some of the arrangements for the wedding?” Pam added. Kurt saw the excitement rising in her expression and knew he couldn’t deny her a weekend of wedding planning. After all, she might never get to do it for Cooper!

“Of course,” Kurt said, squeezing Blaine’s hand again. “Thank you.”

Blaine grinned as they disconnected the call. Then he leaned over and [sang](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBDF04fQKtQ&feature=youtu.be&t=7s) into Kurt’s ear:

_What would you think if I sang out of tune  
Would you stand up and walk out on me? _

Kurt made a somber face and nodded before winking and continuing the song.

_Lend me your ears and I'll sing you a song  
And I'll try not to sing out of key _

They leaned into one another’s shoulders and broke into gleeful harmony.

_Oh I get by with a little help from my friends_   
_Mm I get high with a little help from my friends_   
_Mm going to try with a little help from my friends_

\---

Rachel laughed as she and Sam danced around the garage, periodically stumbling over cords or dodging spare car parts.

Her hands were smudged with grease from Sam’s clothes and hands, and when she automatically reached up to to brush a strand of hair out of her face she got a long streak of it across her cheek.

Sam laughed, and when he showed her the reflection in a hubcap, Rachel laughed at herself too.

_Mm I get high with a little help from my friends_

\---

Santana leaned close and whispered in Brittany’s ear.

_Do you need anybody?_

Brittany smiled and whispered back.

_I need somebody to love_

Their voices rose together.

Santana pulled her girlfriend into a tight embrace as they slow-danced in their living room.

\---

Kurt twirled Blaine under his arm twice before dipping him.

_Do you need anybody?  
I just need somebody to love _

Blaine grinned as he slid his arm around Kurt’s back and dipped him back.

_Could it be anybody?  
I want somebody to love _

_Yes I get by with a little help from my friends  
With a little help from my friends _

They both collapsed into the couch, tired and content. Kurt leaned back into the cushions, pulling Blaine close and nestling the shorter man into his chest. “You know, I’ve been thinking about something.”

“Hmmm?” Blaine asked.

“Well, this apartment, the loft, it has a lot of memories.”

“Yeah?” Blaine sat up and looked at him. “What about it?”

“Well, some of them are good memories, but a lot of them are not…”

“What are you saying?”

“I’m saying, Blaine, that I think we should look for our own place. This apartment has belonged to so many people. I want a place that is just ours. For just us. A place to start fresh.”

“I like that idea,” Blaine smiled, curling back into him. “I like that idea a lot.”

“I like _you_ a lot.”

“Hmmm,” Blaine smiled and turned his head back so they could rub noses. “Our own place.”

“Yeah.”

“Our own place.”

  
======================================================

For those who are desperate to know what Blaine was saying in his conversation with Sam, be sure to check out the one-shot [ Bros Helping Bros II ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/3168407/chapters/7360766)

[](http://de.tinypic.com?ref=2vt5yip)

Thanks for reading the latest chapter of GSF! [ Help us out by spreading the word on tumblr? ](http://gleeseasonfix.tumblr.com/post/111119683276/click-here-to-read-this-episode-written-by) And [ Here you can reblog the episode stills. ](http://gleeseasonfix.tumblr.com/post/111014955411/episode-stills-glee-season-fix-with-a-little)

Songs in this episode:

Puck: Fugitive by Mark Salling  
Rachel: You Must Love Me (from Evita) by Tim Rice, version by Madonna  
Brittany and Santana: Shake it Off by Taylor Swift  
Sam: Superheros by The Script  
Blaine, Kurt, and Ensemble: With a Little Help From My Friends by The Beatles

 

 


	8. To Have A Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone is heading home for the holidays! Blaine gets a chance to see the Warblers again, but he’s still kind of worried about seeing his parents, who aren’t too supportive of his and Kurt’s wedding. The Vibratos are gearing up for their performance at Breadstix at the end of the week, and Quinn and Tina go on another road trip! When Quinn meets up with the Puckerman family for Thanksgiving, she and Puck have a serious discussion about their future. Mercedes is planning a quiet evening on her own, but Santana may have something up her sleeve. Kurt and Blaine face the heads of the Anderson house, hoping to make them see eye to eye about this wedding business, and Cooper just manages to make everyone giggle in joy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written by [ to-write-is-to-bleed ](http://to-write-is-to-bleed.tumblr.com/) and [ gingerfic ](http://archiveofourown.org/users/gingerfic/pseuds/gingerfic)  
> Assistant writer [ becausehiships ](http://archiveofourown.org/users/becausehiships/works)
> 
> Beta by: HKVoyage and Alwaysfallingforanidea.
> 
> Special thanks to [ awkwardanne4 ](http://awkwardanne4.tumblr.com/)  
> Disclaimer: This is a work of fanfiction. All the characters and backstories belong to Glee and its creators.
> 
> Glee Season Fix (“GSF”) was written independently of spoilers about Glee Season 6. If songs or plots overlap, it’s due to coincidence or nature of the storylines that need resolution.
> 
> Like on the show, GSF also includes songs and performances. There are links to full versions of each song, as well as song lyrics written out in the scene. We hope you will enjoy listening as well as reading, but be aware that the written version is shortened, whereas the audio versions are the full songs.

_Here’s what you missed on Glee Season Fix_

_Not very long ago, Kurt and Blaine told Blaine’s parents about their wedding, but they still think they’re a little too young to get married. Blaine is kind of fed up with it, but he’s not sure how to tell his parents that’s he’s kind of fed up with it. Not to mention that Cooper is set on calling Blaine “Squirt” until the day he dies._

_Rachel visited her dads after her TV show kind of blew up, but now she’s back and still kind of conflicted. Now that she’s back in town, her family is demanding she sing show tunes. Great._

_Quinn and Tina are both at Ivy League schools, which is totally awesome, but Tina’s kind of distracted. Maybe singing with Quinn at the top of their lungs will help? And Puck and Quinn are still together, but they’re going long distance, and Puck is in Texas, so Quinn isn’t so sure how to do a relationship like that._

_Mercedes had to stay in LA for her holiday concert, and Brittany and Santana are there too, busy with work. Everyone else is in Ohio for Thanksgiving, which means that there will be a great audience to see the Vibratos sing at Breadstix, which is going to be pretty awesome, too._

_And that’s what you missed on,_

_Glee_

 

\-----------------------------------

Dalton Academy, Westerville, OH, the day before Thanksgiving

\-----------------------------------

Blaine walked into the large common area of Dalton Academy. Memories washed over him as he walked to the Senior Commons, where he was going to meet the old Warblers for a reunion.

It was close to fall break for the Dalton Students, so many of them were either in class or in their dorms, packing to head home for the holiday. Blaine walked past the staircase where he first met Kurt, grabbed his hand and ran. Then, several years later, he proposed on that very same spot.

There were so many beautiful memories in this place, ones that gave him an amazing feeling in his stomach. He laughed to himself, remembering how much everything has changed.

“Blaine!” It was Nick who called to him, jogging over to give him a tight hug.

“Hey, Nick. This was a great idea. Thanks for inviting me,” Blaine said, grinning.

“Of course, man. Sebastian was all for it, so Wes and David set it all up. I’m sure everyone will be happy to see you,” Nick said, smiling. Blaine reciprocated his smile, but it was for naught. He couldn’t get into the holiday spirit. It was good, being able to see the Warblers again, but he couldn’t get past the thought that after a few short hours, he was going to be back at his parents’ house.

He loved his parents, but there was always that underlying stress that came from being home for the holidays, especially with his parents not really supporting his and Kurt’s wedding in May.

“Alright, so there’s not really anything planned for today, so we just thought we might break out the ol’ pipes and do a few tunes and just chill for a little while. Sound good?” Nick asked, walking in front of Blaine.

“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” Blaine replied, walking into the large Senior Commons room behind Nick.

There they were, all the Warblers, together again. Wes and David chatted in one corner, David laughing at one of Wes’ many jokes. Trent and Jeff were on the other side of the room, waving to Blaine and Nick when they came in, grinning brightly.

“Well, well, well. Blaine Anderson. It’s good to see you,” someone snarked from Blaine’s left.

“Sebastian. Always good to see you, too,” Blaine said, shaking his hand formally.

“What, no Kurt? I was so looking forward to seeing him,” Sebastian said sarcastically.

“We got in very early today. Kurt decided to spend the day with his dad and Carole instead. It worked out for everyone, really,” Blaine replied. Sebastian was only kidding with his snark, surely.

“Ah. Well, that makes the surprise so much less satisfying,” Sebastian said, throwing his hands in the air.

“Surprise?”

“Gentlemen, gather ‘round! As you all probably know, our dear Blaine is getting _married!_ Don’t you think we should do a little something for him?” Sebastian asked the group. Various shouts come from the crowd, along with several whoops and hollers.

“Sebastian, what is this,” Blaine asked skeptically.

“Your pre-bachelor-party party,” Sebastian said, snapping his [fingers](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6O4bdGk3TY). The Warblers came to attention, do-wopping behind Sebastian.

_Short People got no reason_   
_Short People got no reason_   
_Short People got no reason_   
_To live_

Blaine laughed whole-heartedly as he watched his old friends dance and sing with absolute serious expressions on their faces. They were making fun of him, but they were doing it with love.

 _They got little hands, little eyes_   
_They walk around tellin' great big lies_   
_They got little noses and tiny little teeth_

The soloist switched to Nick, who came up to Blaine and began dancing with him, showing him the moves for the dancing the group was doing. Blaine caught on quickly, moving swiftly with the Warblers’ spins and jumps.

_Well, I don't want no Short People_   
_Don't want no Short People_   
_Don't want no Short People_   
_`Round here_

The Warblers’ performance was just enough to make Blaine forget about the upcoming Thanksgiving dinner with his parents. He was consumed by the fun and joy he was having, singing with his old friends.

Blaine took over then, singing the words that didn’t really mean a thing. He sang with Sebastian, rocking out to the old acapella back-up voices he was so used to hearing.

 _Short people are just the same as you and I_  
_(A fool such as I)_  
_All men are brothers until the day they die_  
_(It's a wonderful world)_

“So when’s the wedding, and duh, we’re coming,” Wes said, smiling at Blaine.

“May 31. Of course you guys are invited! Thank you.”

\-----------------------------------

On a Highway from New England, the day before Thanksgiving

\-----------------------------------

“You know, everyone is going to be so happy to hear you’re fending for yourself out there, Quinn. There’s so many women who can’t take care of themselves in the business world because they’re afraid, but you’re doing it. I’m really proud of you,” Tina said, keeping her eyes on the road. Tina had picked Quinn up at her dorm an hour earlier so they could get a move on back to Ohio. There were nine more hours to drive, but they were going to take turns so no one person had to do all the driving. This wasn’t their first road trip together, and they were pros at it.

“I’m proud of myself, too. I think advocating for women’s rights can be a real career starter for me, you know? I’m really excited for this new semester to start,” Quinn replied.

“Well, I’m sure Puck is also proud of you for all the work you’re doing at Yale.”

“I hope so. I mean, with all the long distance, I don’t get to talk to him all that much, but I just hope that he knows I’m doing work for the betterment of my community of peers at Yale.”

Tina thought about that for a minute. She was focused entirely on her classes at this point, and barely had room for any extracurriculars as it was. Quinn, on the other hand, was managing to keep up her studies _and_ lead a women’s rights revolution all while staying in touch with her long distance boyfriend.

Tina didn’t know how Quinn did it.

“Tina?”

The sound of her name jerked her out of her reverie.

“Yeah?”

“I asked what your classes look like for next semester,” Quinn repeated.

“Oh! Well, I’m trying to get them moved around right now, just because I already have credits for some of them, but I’m looking at taking a design course and a few of my last basic pre reqs,” Tina replied, ready to change the subject.

That got Quinn going, already going a mile a minute about how she was probably going to go into something a little more focused this semester. Tina really stopped listening at that point, just focusing on the road and the long drive ahead of them.

\-----------------------------------

The Anderson Home, OH, the night before Thanksgiving

\-----------------------------------

“I still have mixed feelings about staying with my parents, Kurt,” Blaine said as the couple stepped up to the front door of the Anderson Estate after he had picked up Kurt from the Hummel’s house.

“Oh, come on, Blaine. I’m sure it’s going to be fine. It’s Thanksgiving. Your parents love you, they will be happy to see you home for the holidays,” Kurt replied, turning to knock on the massive front door.

The Anderson home was large, to say the least. The four story house was surrounded by a hedge fence, with an enormous back yard, complete with pool and deck. Kurt still felt a little intimidated by it. But there was something endearing about the Estate. It was where Blaine grew up. Kurt was going to get to see where Blaine learned to ride his bike, sang with Cooper, and cooked with his mom all over again.

“I’m comin’,” someone said from the foyer, and opened the door.

“Blainey! Kurt! You’re here,” it was Cooper, excited as ever.

“Coop, I’ve asked you not to call me that,” Blaine groaned.

“Then I’ll never stop. Give me a hug, both of you,” Cooper said, pulling Blaine in for a hug, then Kurt. Kurt smiled and blushed, remembering how star-struck he had felt--and acted--back when he first met Cooper. Of course they’d been in touch since then, but there was still that lingering memory of their awkward meet up in the back of his mind.

“Well, come on in. Mom and Dad are in the kitchen, discussing tomorrow’s delicious dinner. So, tell me, what’s everyone been up to? How’s school,” Cooper asked.

Kurt smiled and began to recount the last few months to his soon-to-be brother-in-law, ignoring Blaine’s sideways glower. Blaine had been acting awkward about the visit to his parents’ home since they left the airport.

Kurt was sympathetic towards Blaine’s situation. Time and time again, Kurt had told Blaine how he felt about his parents’ apparent lack of support. Maybe he was more biased against the Andersons because Burt had been so caring and involved. It was still troubling that  Blaine’s parents did not seem to support him and his decisions, especially about the wedding. In spite of his own feelings about it, Kurt had planned to lay the subject aside for the holiday for the sake of Blaine’s relationship with his parents.

“Kurt, Blaine. I’m so happy to see you both,” Mrs. Anders--Pam, she’d told him to call her Pam--greeted. It was still difficult for Kurt to call her Pam, even though he’d known her for four years. She was well into her fifties, but she really didn’t look it. _She’s beautiful_ , Kurt thought in awe. She was dressed simply, in a dress with her hair up. Kurt knew the boys were her number one priority. There was no nobler job.

“Pam, it’s great to see you, too,” Kurt replied, kissing her cheek. “Oh, what perfume are you wearing? I love it! Is it Chanel? Or were you going for tropical, like Dolce?” he continued as she turned to hug Blaine.

“Hi, Mom,” Blaine smiled and hugged his mother. She smelt like home. Every time he hugged his mom, he was reminded of her pushing him on the swings in the back yard and reading him stories before bed.

“Oh, it’s a new oil I found in this little shop in Columbus! It’s lovely, isn’t it,” Pam replied sweetly. “Your father will be out in a minute. The game is on, and he didn’t want to miss it,” Pam explained, sitting next to Blaine to join them. “Richard, come out here, your son is home. There’s a perfectly good television for you to watch in the living room.”

Kurt glanced at Blaine, just to see his reaction. He looked tired. Like he was putting a façade on for his parents, and he couldn’t do it anymore.

“Blaine! Good to have you home, son,” Richard Anderson said, clapping his son on the shoulder roughly.

Blaine laughed uncomfortably. “Yeah, Dad. Good to be home.”

“Kurt, why don’t you join me in the kitchen? Blaine always boasts of your prowess with cooking and I’d like to see some more of it firsthand,” Pam offered.

“Well, I _can_ bake a pretty mean ziti,” Kurt grinned, reaching down to squeeze Blaine’s hand before joining Pam in the kitchen.

\-----------------------------------

On a Highway Toward Ohio

\-----------------------------------

“Tina? What’s up? You’ve been staring off into space for a while now,” Quinn asked, concerned. About halfway through their drive Quinn said it was time for Tina to take a break. Tina agreed, and they pulled off at a rest stop, freshened up a bit, stretched their legs, and they were back on the road again.

“Tina?”

Tina shook her head and looked at Quinn. “Yeah?”

“Honey, are you alright? You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” Quinn asked, obviously worried.

“I’ve just been thinking lately,” Tina trailed off.

“Okay? About what, exactly,” Quinn asked again.

“Well, you’re just so focused about your classes and where you want to be in ten years and I don’t even know what I want to major in yet. It’s all kind of overwhelming,” Tina replied sheepishly.

“Oh, sweetie, you’re going to be fine. Just because I know where I want to be doesn’t mean it’s a bad thing you don’t. You’ve got time,” Quinn said, glancing over at Tina kindly.

“Sure. But I don’t even know what interests me. I’ve started talking with a career counselor. This is just really stressful.”

“Well, if you’re so worried about it, then why don’t you and I make a list of things that you’re good at? We’ve certainly got the time. And that way, we’re bound to find _something_ that interests you,” Quinn suggests.

“Okay, why not? It can’t hurt,” Tina says, pulling a napkin and a pen out of the glove box.

They spend the better part of the next two hours brainstorming different career paths for Tina. There’s costuming, performing, and anything related in the arts. Tina was also good with numbers and organization, and she had an affinity for writing. Everything from physics to accounting to journalism was an option.There were so many possibilities. At least Quinn was there to help.

“Do you have any ideas now? I mean, does anything interest you more than anything else on this list?” Quinn asked once they’d finished.

“No, there is so much that it’s hard for me to narrow it down to one area, but I think I’m going to take this list to my counselor and see what we can do with it. I’m sure this is a great start, don’t you think?”

“I think so. You’re going to get to high places, Tina Cohen-Chang. I can sense it,” Quinn said, grinning. “Okay, enough talk. I know just the thing to get us into the family spirit,” Quinn added, cranking up the [radio](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qkeoTJmGmCg&feature=youtu.be).

_When the daylight comes  
Do you feel it? _

_Everything is as it should be  
I'm leaving now as I should be _

Tina grinned at Quinn and joined her in song, belting out the lyrics. Quinn was a good friend, and maybe she was right about her future. There was always the possibility of something on the horizon.

 _No we're never gonna talk about it_   
_No we're never gonna speak again_

Quinn worried about Tina, sometimes. There were these bouts of dreaminess that Tina has, and Quinn didn’t know what to make of them. Tina had a good head on her shoulders, otherwise she would not have gotten into Brown. But there was still the lingering doubt Quinn had about the decisions Tina made sometimes.

_All that we can do is smile  
It will be like this for a while _

Tina was ready to see her family, and she was ready to start new with her college career. There was a bright light on the horizon, and she felt ready for it.

Letting go, oo-oo  
Won't look back, no-oo  
No way, no way, no way

\-----------------------------------

Lima, OH

\-----------------------------------

“Mom? You know Unique is coming over tonight, right,” Marley called to her mother from the kitchen. Ms. Rose had run down to the basement to look for an extra can of chicken broth.

“Yes, Marley. You’ve told me about ninety times, now,” she replied, laughing a little bit.

“Okay, okay, I just want to make sure you don’t forget,” Marley said, going back to her dicing. Marley always loved helping her mom cook Thanksgiving dinner. Since it was just the two of them, Marley got to spend a lot of good quality time with her mom. What with school and the Vibratos, there just hadn’t been a whole lot of time for them to have together.

Marley was getting better. The therapist that Sue helped her to afford (she’d never forget the kindness Sue had shown that Christmas) was helping her get past her sickness, and she was taking her time doing things, spreading it all out so no one job took all her time. Marley was taking care of herself,  and it felt _really good_.

Unique was helping, too. Marley was set on making sure Unique knew how thankful she was for all she had done to help her. It was Thanksgiving, after all. Unique often spoke kind words of reassurance whenever she felt like Marley needed them, and Marley couldn’t be more grateful.

\-----------------------------------

Los Angeles, CA

\-----------------------------------

Mercedes stood in a pool of bright lights, staring out into the rows of seats that made up her audience. The concert was not sold out, but it was pretty well attended considering that she was still a new artist and that it was Thanksgiving.  As the opening notes of her final number began, she took a deep breath, and plastered on her show smile before [she sang.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GYwhlyx_lc)

 _When I think of home_  
I think of a place where there's love overflowing  
I wish I was home

God, yes, she wished she was home. She really missed her family. It wasn’t that Mercedes didn’t have any friends here, because she did. And she loved her friends. But the closeness and shared history that she had with people from home was different.

_Suddenly my world has changed it's face  
But I still know where I'm going _

Everything was different in LA than it had been in Lima. Mercedes was thankful for the opportunities and successes, of course, but sometimes it was so overwhelming. As much as she loved what she was doing now, there were moments when she missed the quiet of Ohio and the comfort of her family.

_Living here, in this brand new world might be a fantasy  
But it taught me to love so it's real, real to me _

_Like home..._

The audience erupted in applause.

“Thank you,” Mercedes smiled and waved as the lights came down. She took a deep breath and let it out in a long slow sigh. She did love performing, but being away from her family--her home--on a holiday like this was especially hard. She had been living on her own for more than two years now, but she had never missed a Thanksgiving before.

She unhooked her earpiece and, with a polite smile, handed it to the stagehand who was waiting in the wings for her. He nodded curtly and scurried off. Mercedes returned to the dressing room to change into something a little less sparkly and a little more comfortable. She put the dress on a hanger and was rolling her shoulders, reveling in the freedom of movement she had in her t-shirt, when a loud knock sounded on her door.

_Tap! tap! tap!_

Mercedes frowned and furrowed her brows. She wasn’t expecting anyone. She was going to go home, have a turkey sandwich, watch a movie, and go to bed. It may be Thanksgiving but she wasn’t doing anything fancy. She had spent so much energy on the concert that she just didn’t have any left. And she wasn’t going to let herself feel bad about it either, because two weeks ago when her mom and Granny Jo had visited they had cooked up a big feast so that she wouldn’t feel left out of the family meal. She was ok. Really.

_Tap! tap! tap!_

“Come in?” Mercedes called hesitantly.

“Mercedes!” Brittany burst into the room, falling into her friend’s arms and hugging her before she’d had a chance to fully register who it was.

“Ooof, Brittany! What are you doing here? I thought you would be home with Santana?”

“I couldn’t miss your concert, silly,” Brittany had turned around and was examining herself in the mirror now. She flipped her hair as she turned around. “Besides, I’m here with a secret mission.”

“A secret mission?” Mercedes squinted at her. She was too tired to make sense of Brittany-isms today.

“Yes, I’m on a mission to bring you home with me, but Santana says I have to keep it a secret why.”

“I was just going to go home and go to bed early,” Mercedes explained, even though the idea of being not alone was appealing. She didn’t want to barge in on anyone else.

“Nope,” Brittany shook her head insistently. “You’re coming with me, right now.”

\-----------------------------------

Brittany and Santana’s apartment, Los Angeles, CA

\-----------------------------------

Brittany pushed open the door of her apartment and ushered Mercedes inside. The room was warm and welcoming. Santana emerged from around the corner.

“Welcome, ladies, you’re just in time! The turkey will be done in just a few minutes.”

“You cooked a whole turkey?” Mercedes asked, aghast, as she took in the number of dishes spread across the table. It was a full Thanksgiving feast.

“No, a whole bird would have been too big,” Santana agreed. “I just cooked a breast,” she added with a smirk. Brittany burst out giggling. They gave each other a meaningful look and Santana snorted before clearing her throat and regaining her composure. Mercedes was sure there was a story behind it, but she didn’t ask. When it came to these two, she had learned that she usually didn’t really want to know.

“And all the fixings? Wow, Santana, this is amazing!” Mercedes was feeling pretty emotional at this point.

“There’s no cranberry sauce,” Santana said, gesturing, “because ewwwww! But I made all the important stuff. Like my abuela’s sweet potatoes.”

“With _marshmallows!_ ” Brittany added enthusiastically. She reached out to snitch one but Santana swatted her hand away.

“Uh-uh, no snitching!”

As Santana turned back around to face Mercedes, Brittany snatched a melty marshmallow anyway, popping it into her mouth and licking her fingers with an “mmmm!” as she danced out of Santana’s reach.

Mercedes buried her face in her hands to hide a smile. Her friends were so weird; and she was so glad to be spending this evening with them.

\-----------------------------------

The Anderson Home, OH

\-----------------------------------

“So, have you guys picked a song to dance to?” Cooper asked as Kurt and Blaine leafed through some wedding magazines.

“Not yet. We’re still trying to pick a cake,” Kurt began. “Blaine wants a tri-flavored cake, with each tier a different taste, but I just want to go with a simple chocolate raspberry.”

“I’m just saying that, if we got something like a tri-flavored cake, then there could be a little something for everyone,” Blaine replied.

“I’m gonna go with Blaine on this one, Kurtsie. I think a tri-flavored cake would give everyone a chance to try something different,” Cooper agreed.

“Oh, you hush. I’m not about to have the Anderson brothers gang up on me about my own wedding,” Kurt joked.

“Have you decided who is going to make speeches?” Cooper asked nonchalantly.

“I have a feeling I know where this is going, and I don’t like it,” Blaine said, slowly looking up from his magazine.

“I think the brother of the groom should make a speech! I could talk about our everlasting love for one and other and then I can dedicate it to little Squirt and Kurt, too!” Cooper grinned, obviously proud of himself.

“No,” Kurt and Blaine said simultaneously, looking back at their magazines.

“Blaine? Did I just hear you boys talking about the wedding,” Pam asked, coming in from the garden.

Blaine looked back up from his magazine, suddenly feeling a little awkward about the whole situation. Maybe they shouldn’t discuss the wedding so openly right now.

“Um,” Blaine cleared his throat. “Yes, we were. Why?”

“Well, your father and I still wanted to talk to you boys about it. I should probably wait for Richard,” Pam replied.

“And that’s my cue.”  Cooper said, quickly leaving the room.

Pam sighed, staring at the space that used to be Cooper.  “He could have stayed.”

“He’s a weirdo.”  Blaine shrugged and looked at Kurt for validation.  Pam had always been supportive, as much as she can understand Blaine thinks, but Blaine couldn’t help but think his father had been swaying her into his own beliefs.

Blaine’s thoughts are interrupted by Pam’s need for her own support system.

“Richard, honey!  Come in here.  The boys want to talk about the wedding.”

“We don’t-”  Kurt started, but Blaine elbowed him in the ribcage enough for Kurt to yelp.  “Ow?”

Blaine gave Kurt the warning eye, hopefully translated to _just keep quiet._

“Ah, yes.”  Richard waltzed into the room, drying his hands on a kitchen towel and throwing it to lay on his shoulder.  “Kurt and Blaine’s wedding.”  Richard sat down on the chair across from the couple and leaned in.

“We have a few questions, boys.”  Pam sat on the arm of the chair by her husband, fiddling with the towel, folding it neater than he had.  “For one, the small decisions - like cake - should be the least of your worries.  What about location?  Guest list?”

Blaine cleared his throat.  He couldn’t help but feel that they were being attacked with questions.  His parents always asked questions with the right answer in mind and Blaine prayed to God that he’ll find a way to read their minds.

“Location?”  Blaine looked at Kurt’s bright, comically wide eyes and smiled.  Adorable.  “Well, definitely New York.  We don’t have a lot of other things decided, like cake or speeches, or really not much of anything.  But New York is home for us and that’s where we’ll have the ceremony.  In our hometown.”

“You are both from Ohio.”  Richard responded, teeth clenched and cheeks turning red as if he was trying to hold in the anger.  “Both of our families are all from the Ohio area.”

Blaine felt Kurt’s hand in his, then, tightening the grasp as a clear indication of support.  They met eyes, an entire conversation starting to take place without a word spoken.  

Blaine turned and stared blankly at his father.  Who was he to attempt decision-making on his and Kurt’s behalf?

“Yes.  And we want to start our lives as a married couple in the place that we’ll be for the unforseeable future.”

“New York is where we belong together.  We met here, but we live our lives there.”  Kurt added in.  It’s a good statement, Blaine thought.  It might actually win over his parents.  

“Your father is right, Blainey.  What about our older distant relatives?  They won’t be able to make it if it’s all the way in New York.”

“Maybe we don’t want our homophobic old relatives there anyway.”  Blaine was angry; how dare his parents ambush them like this?  This is their wedding and half the joy in it is to plan.  They always ruined everything.

As if Kurt could literally read Blaine’s mind, he squeezed his hand and straightened his back before launching into a speech with words that Blaine did not know how to say.  “With all due respect, Mr. and Mrs. Anderson, Blaine and I are getting married because we love each other and we will do it wherever we decide together.  First of all, gay marriage is illegal in Ohio so even if we were to stay closer to Lima, we’d still need everyone to cross the border into Indiana or something.  And I’m _definitely_ not getting married in some second-hand barn in the Midwest, thank you very much. Second of all, neither Blaine nor myself ever felt like we belonged here.  I believe that the only reason why I was here at all was to meet Blaine.  Then we got out of here as quickly as we could.  New York is the place where we live, where we thrive, where we are planning our future.  I’m sorry if that means that we can’t invite some of our less mobile relatives, but this is something that I can’t negotiate because there is simply no other place for us.”

Pam was smiling proudly when Kurt stopped his tyrant.  Kurt cut himself off because it was probably too much and he did not want to come off as disrespectful or smug.  He looked at Blaine for a reaction and Blaine couldn’t help himself but lean over and kiss him hard on the lips.  

“Fearlessly and forever, right?”  Kurt smiled into the kiss and both of them even forgot that Blaine’s parents were _watching_ them make out until Richard’s blatant interruption by way of throat clearing.

Blaine flushed a deep crimson and turns his face away from his fiancé.  “Mom.  Dad.  What he said.”

Kurt preened a bit.  He loves when Blaine is proud of him.  And caught off guard.  And adorably trusting and beautiful.

“Stay here, okay?”  Blaine looked at Kurt and smiled as he nodded.  “Can I see you two in the kitchen, please?”  Blaine stood up and led the way, trusting his gut that they would follow.

\-----------------------------------

The Puckerman home, Lima, OH

\-----------------------------------

It was an unusual group that gathered around the table (well, two tables pushed together) at the Puckerman home. Aviva Puckerman sat at one end, with her children Noah and Shay on either side of her. At the other end was Tanisha, and next to her, her son Jake. The remaining chairs were for Quinn and her mother, Judy. They had been invited at the last minute when Quinn mentioned that it was going to be just the two of them this year since her grandparents couldn't make it down to Lima. Russell Fabray was long since out of the picture and since nobody had heard from Mr. Puckerman in a couple of years, it seemed only fitting to invite the Fabrays to join their little matriarchal gathering.

"Thank you so much for inviting us." Judy clearly felt a little out of place here, in a setting so different from where she had spent most of her life. Quinn flashed her a quick smile. She had gotten comfortable with the unique arrangement of the Puckerman family, but she remembered that it hadn't always been that way.

Puck saw the smile and thought over how much things had changed for both of them--for all of them--in the last few years. He squeezed her knee under the table.

"Wha' casses aw you taking?" Shay asked Quinn around a mouthful of stuffing.

"Don't talk with your mouth full," Aviva chided absent-mindedly, knowing it wouldn't make a difference. She set down a bowl of green beans, and watched them tip precariously for a moment (because the place where the two tables met wasn’t quite even) before moving them over.

"Yeah, don't tawk wit yo mouf fow!" Puck echoed with a gleam in his eye and his mouth more full than hers could ever be.

Quinn cleared her throat, stopping the siblings before it got any grosser (because she knew it would!) "I'm taking women's studies, statistics, and introduction to law," she answered. Ever since she and Puck had been together, Shay had been looking up to Quinn. She was a junior, but for the first time in her life she was even talking about going to college now!

"Wow, that sounds hard," she said in an awed tone.

"Sometimes, Quinn agreed, "but you can do whatever you put your mind to if you are willing to work for it."

"I'm going to Lima Community College in the fall," Jake announced proudly. "That way I can keep my job and be working while I take classes, so I can save up to go to Ohio State in a couple of years." Tanisha grinned, clearly bursting with pride at how far he had come.

Aviva met her eyes and matched her grin. "I'm so proud of all you kids," she said, getting misty-eyed as she looked around the table. "You and all the things you're doing are what I'm thankful for this year." The other mothers nodded in agreement.

"So, Jake, pass me those mashed potatoes?" Puck's loud voice broke the sentimental mood.

Jake held up the bowl as if to throw it. "Like this?!" he teased.

Everyone laughed.

 

\-----------------------------------

The Berry Home, Lima, OH

\-----------------------------------

Rachel laughed at the joke her Aunt Katie made, smiling broadly. There was nothing like being with family for the holidays. She got the chance to catch up with old friends, and her dads made sure almost all of their extended family were there for dinner.

Hiram and Leroy had made an amazing tofurkey with stuffing and homemade cranberry sauce. Everything was organic, and there was still her dad’s special pumpkin pie for dessert. All-in-all, it had been a great Thanksgiving, filled with love and happiness.

Except for the fact that her favorite cousin, Jamie, kept asking her to sing Broadway tunes.

Rachel wasn’t sure what it was, but every time she sang a show tune, she became bitter, as though she didn’t deserve to sing it. She knows she had willingly left Broadway for television, and perhaps her name was tarnished just a little bit, but tarnish can be shined off, right?. Perhaps it was all internal, her guilt. No one had told her she was wrong for it, but she could use a little pick me up.

“Okay, everyone, let’s gather around so we can all give thanks! To the living room,” Hiram called, beckoning the family to follow him.

Rachel sat next to Jamie, pulling her into her lap. Jamie wasn’t too small anymore, but she was just barely big enough to squeeze into Rachel’s lap. Jamie smiles and bounced a little bit, ready to say something to all the adults about what she’s thankful for.

“Alright, I’ll start, and we’ll go around the room. How does that sound,” Hiram proposed, checking for approval from his family. “Great! Okay. I’m thankful for my beautiful family, and that most of you were able to join us here on Thanksgiving today. I wouldn’t have had it any other way.” Hiram smiled and looked to Leroy, ready to go around the room. Rachel noticed she was going to be last, and loved the idea. It gave her a chance for her to really think.

In spite of the extra time she had as her family gave their thanks for family and friends and a beautiful Ohio fall, Rachel had some trouble thinking of what it is she was thankful for.

Sure, she had amazing family and friends She’d had an amazing opportunity to go to LA and experience life there, and she was welcomed back with open arms into her home in New York, and she couldn’t be more grateful to Blaine and Kurt for taking her back.

She was always so focused on her future on Broadway. She made sure it was the one thing always on her mind. But there was so much more to it than that. When she left, she thought it was the best move for her career. In the end, it wasn’t, but there was still that giant ball of guilt hanging over her head, just threatening to drop. She needed a fresh start, she just wasn’t sure where she was going to find it.

“Rachel? It’s your turn,” Jamie said, tugging on her sweater a little bit. Rachel shook her head and smiled.

Rachel hesitated. She could go the more traditional route and say something about how she was thankful for her family and friends, or for good food and a warm home…that was the easy option, and she was on the spot now. “I’m thankful for...” she started brightly, but then she stopped herself. No, she wasn’t going to be that old Rachel anymore. The one who said trite things and avoided whatever made her uncomfortable. She was going to be more open and honest. After all, this was her family, and they would accept her even with tarnish. That’s how family worked. Rachel shook her head to clear her mind, and then tried again.

“I’m thankful for the many opportunities I’ve been given this year,” she said clearly. “Sure, they weren’t all for me, and some of them have ended up being really, really hard. But they all gave me a chance to see things from different perspectives, and I have learned a lot. Which is why I’m also grateful for fresh starts. I’m getting the chance to start anew, and I think a clean slate is just what I need.”

\-----------------------------------

The Anderson Home, OH

\-----------------------------------

Blaine steeled himself as he turned to face his parents. No more hiding behind Kurt, no more hiding, period. He was tired of beating around the bush, telling them what they want to hear. They needed to know.

“Blaine, dear? What’s so important that you couldn’t say in front of Kurt?” his mother asked.

“I need to be able to say this without Kurt trying to come to my defense. I need to be able to talk to you guys without any help,” Blaine said without looking his parents in the eyes.

“About what?”

“I guess since the incident at the Sadie Hawkins Dance my freshman year, I’ve been really put off about the way you treat me. I know you guys love me and you’ve been supportive of a lot of my decisions; I really appreciate that. But it’s so difficult to talk to you. Both of you. Maybe my view of a lot of stuff is warped because of what happened to me. But I can’t help but feel like you’re judging me for my choices or the fact that I’m gay,” Blaine said, ready to get everything off of his chest.

“We never really talked about what happened, you know. I never got to tell you how scared I was or that I felt alone while I was in the hospital. When I met Wes and David, a lot of those feelings went away. Even more when I met Kurt. But there was still a hole where I thought you guys should be, supporting me.”

“Blaine, we would never judge you. Your father and I… After what those boys did to you, we didn’t know how to keep you safe. I was worried sick for weeks, even after you were discharged. We don’t disapprove of your sexuality. Never. We love you more than anything and we can tell that Kurt makes you so happy. Perhaps we’re just poor at showing it.  That’s all we want for you.

“We thought sending you to a private boarding school was what was best and safest for you, and in the end, maybe it was. You met Kurt, and you made some wonderful friends. But we should have talked more. As a family. And there’s no changing the past, you know. We can only hope for better in the future,” Pam finished, looking at her son sadly.

“Son, look. Your mom is right. We can’t go back and we can’t change the way things were. And you’re right, too. We didn’t talk. None of us did. But we’re here now. And I really hope you can trust us when we say that. And, if it’ll help, maybe we could try not talking about our specific views about you and Kurt’s wedding, right now. Maybe we can just try helping with the planning,” Richard said softly. Blaine had never heard his dad speak in such a way.

“I’d really appreciate that.”

\-----------------------------------

The Puckerman home, Lima, OH

\-----------------------------------

After dinner everyone at the Puckerman home had settled in to get comfortable. A football game played on the television in the corner and Jake sat nearby so that he could hear it even at low volume. Judy and Shay were in the kitchen doing the dishes--they had insisted since the other women had done most of the cooking. Aviva and Tanisha were seated in a pair of armchairs on one side of the room, chatting about this and that. Quinn and Puck sat together on the loveseat, his arm around her shoulders, her head against his chest.

"This is nice." Quinn snuggled in closer.

"Yeah," Puck agreed vaguely, his eyes still on the football game.

"I never imagined my life or my family looking like this, but I really like it, you know?"

Puck nodded, "mm-hmm."

“Our relationship has been unconventional in almost every way from the very beginning, which is both confusing and wonderful, and I am so glad we’re together.”

“Uh-huh,” Puck murmured, his hand stroking up and down her arm.

"But I've been thinking--"

"Ow!" Jake yelped from across the room.

Puck chuckled. "That was a pretty spectacular tackle," he agreed. "Betcha he's out for the rest of the game."

"No kidding," Jake agreed with his eyes still glued to the screen. "That one earned a penalty for sure."

Puck nodded.

"Puck?"

"Yeah?" He looked down at her, kissing the top of her head as she continued.

"I think we need to have a talk,” she whispered, without moving from where she was curled against him.

"What?" his attention shifted fully to her now.

“I think we need to have a talk,” she repeated.

“Oh,” Puck hesitated, clearing his throat and glancing around the room to see if anyone was paying attention to them, but no one was. “I have been thinking that too actually. But I’m not sure what...” he tried, then stopped, swallowing awkwardly. “I mean, I really care about you, and--”

“I really care about you too,” her voice was light, serious but without sadness.

“But lately I’ve been wondering…”

“It’s time for both of us to move on,” Quinn asserted softly. “Our lives are in different places and going different directions.”

“It’s not working very well,” he agreed, relieved that she felt the same way. “I mean I really like you, and I like being with you, but sometimes I wonder if we got together to answer the big _what if._ ”

“Maybe we did!” her chuckle was soft and musical, as always. She slowly slipped out of his grasp and sat up to face him. “What’s wrong with that? We are young, this is the time for us to try things out.” Her eyes twinkled. “I’ve tried a lot of things over the last few years, some of which I’m more proud of than others. But that’s part of growing up.”

“I have never been sorry to be with you,” he blurted. “You have to believe me. Even in high school, when everything was so impulsive and hormonal…”

“And _hot?!_ ” she interrupted with a grin. “Me either. Even if I do have stretch marks to show for it." She rubbed her stomach absent-mindedly. "I don’t regret any of our time together. Maybe at times I did, but not now.” She smiled and squeezed his hand. He held on to her, gripping back tightly.

“I never want to hurt you,” he whispered, gazing earnestly into her eyes.

“You’re not,” she responded gently, leaning in and pressing the softest of kisses to his lips.

“YES!” Jake yelled, jumping into the air and pumping his fist. Puck jumped too, startled. Quinn buried her face into Puck’s shoulder to stifle her giggles. Puck wrapped his arms around her, shaking with his own silent laughter.

“What’s the score?” Aviva asked, glancing over. Puck realized with a start that he and Quinn had just had a rather intimate conversation with his _mom_ in the room. It’s a good thing she had been distracted.

“No regrets, no hurt, just two people who care about each other enough to be willing to let go,” Quinn whispered in his ear.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.” She grinned impishly, glancing around the room, then leaned close again to be sure that no one else would overhear. “But maybe we can have one last night together before we officially call it quits? We’ve had a good time together, it deserves a grand finale.”

Puck raised an eyebrow. “What happened to that nice Catholic girl I knew in high school?”

“Oh, she met a 'bad' Jewish boy, and she was never the same again.”

 

\-----------------------------------

The Anderson home, OH, Thanksgiving night

\-----------------------------------

Now that the mood had calmed a little, everyone had settled in the parlor for the evening. Kurt was still not used to the idea of a _parlor_ , but he did like being here, particularly because of the grand piano. He had only played it once himself (he had always felt a little nervous with his hands on such an expensive instrument), but he loved to listen to Blaine play. Sure enough, after only a few minutes of idle chatter, Blaine made his way to the center of the room and slid onto the black bench. His fingers rose to the keys as though they belonged there, which, of course, they did. He began to [play](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4bEuzdks4g4), gently at first, his fingers dancing back and forth across the keys as a melody tumbled out, and increasing in volume as everyone turned their attention toward him. He glanced up, catching Kurt’s eye, as he began to sing.

_Home,_   
_I've heard the word before,_   
_but it never meant much more than just a thing I've never had._

Kurt knew as well as Blaine did that it wasn’t that Blaine hadn’t been loved so much as that he hadn’t been understood.

 _They say, "Hey, know your place!"  
_ _But I've never had a place to even know,_  
not a face that I could go to if I needed someone there…

Cooper was looking seriously offended. He started pointing to himself and making exaggerated faces and striking poses that seemed to say “what, me? No! I’ve always been perfectly angelic!” and “what are you talking about?”

Richard Anderson loved his younger son. He always had. He had struggled to understand him, and had been frustrated by some of the choices he had made, but he had always loved him. Sometimes it was just hard to know how to show it. He had tried to give his children all the best opportunities in life, but it was only now that he was realizing that they needed something besides good schools and music lessons. His own father had been stern and distant, and Rich wasn’t always sure if he was any better. But he wanted to be. He wanted to try.

_To think  
it's been here all along somewhere to belong _

Blaine was looking down at his hands now. He couldn’t help it, because his ring caught the light from a nearby lamp and glinted at him every time he moved his finger. He beamed as he glanced up at Kurt, who had never looked away from him.

_I've finally found it,_   
_a place where I'm wanted…_   
_This must be how it feels to have a home_

Pam watched her son affectionately as he watched his fiancé. He had spent years keeping things from her, trying to protect himself. She had never meant to make him do that. She hoped that he understood now that he didn’t have to. She loved and accepted him as he was, and she was willing to support him in being who he wanted to be, even if it wasn’t what she had expected.

_I used to dream about it  
but never schemed or counted _

Blaine had gotten excited now, his eyes flashing as he looked around the room at his family members, both the ones he was born to and the one he had chosen. He was bouncing on the bench, having a hard time staying at the keys.

_I never thought that it'd come true  
it's finally here, I don't know what to do _

His mother slipped in beside him on the bench, her fingers taking up the melody on the keys as she gently nudged him aside so that he could go where he so obviously wanted to.

_and I'm trying not to cry_

Blaine flashed her a smile as he crossed the room and pulled Kurt from his chair. He wrapped his arms around his love and began a slow dance as his voice softened again.

Cooper, never one to be left out, wrapped his long arms around Kurt and Blaine, joining their impromptu dance. Kurt shook his head with a wry smile, resigning himself to the inevitable invasion. He slipped his arm away from Blaine on one side so that he could put it around Cooper’s back. Blaine pulled a face, but put his now-free arm around Cooper as well.

_My heart starts to heal_   
_to know this is real._   
_This is how it must feel_   
_to have a home!_

As the song ended, Pam rose from the bench and joined the boys in a group hug. A moment later Blaine felt another body behind his, and realized that Richard was there too, completing his family that now fully encircled him.

\-----------------------------------

Breadstix, Lima, OH, the day after Thanksgiving

\-----------------------------------

Sam smiled and looked at the members of the Vibratos, knowing they were more prepared than they were letting on. Unique was off to one side with Marley, doing some vocal warm up exercises. Ryder and Jake were going over some last minute dance moves, and Sam could hear Sugar and Kitty going over their harmonies in the corner.

They were such good kids, all of them. They all had their strengths, but together they were more like one big voice rather than several small ones. They were unified and their friendship only made their group dynamic stronger.

“Alright, guys. Circle up,” Sam said, walking towards the kids.

“I know you know how this goes. Super awesome pep talk, somebody almost cries, AAAAAmazing! We’re gonna bypass all that. You guys know you’re awesome, I know you’re awesome, and that audience out there is going to know you’re awesome. This is going to be great. This is just the beginning,” Sam said, grinning. He knew the kids were nervous, but they were going to be fine. They were Glee kids. Performing was in their blood.

“Alright. Anybody else want to say anything?’’

“We’re going to be amazing, y’all,” Unique said, putting her hand in the center.

Ryder grinned, and put his hand in, followed by Jake, Sugar, Marley, and Sam.

“AAAAAAMazing!”

\--

Marley and Unique came out on stage to introduce the group when they saw them. Marley knew they’d all come home for the holiday, but she never imagined them to show up to their first major performance.

Several of the original Glee kids were sitting, front row, watching and smiling. Quinn Fabray and Jake’s brother, Puck, Rachel Berry, Kurt Hummel and Blaine Anderson were all there, watching with interest. Marley took a deep breath and smiled.

“Hello! My name is Marley Rose,” Marley began.

“And I am Unique Adams,” Unique continued.

“And we are The Vibratos! We thank you for coming out tonight, and we hope you enjoy the show,” Marley finished, looking at the band, smiling and [nodding](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_Z6gNN9NnQ&feature=youtu.be).

_I lost the signal and put you away  
Swore upon the sun I'd save you for a rainy day _

Marley sang the words with such truth, closing her eyes and smiling. She’d never felt as right as she was when she was performing.

Unique joined in, using her deep voice to hit some of the notes Marley couldn’t. It was performing with her true friends gave Unique this great feeling. She always got chills up and down her spine, which made her smile even bigger than before.

_Goodness gracious I can see the stars  
Callin' me out, callin' me out just to keep crawlin' into your arms _

Ryder, Jake, Kitty and Sugar joined in then, their voices becoming like one. The boys danced their way over to Unique and Marley, taking their hands and doing a few spins as the girls sang.

Jake was proud of how far the Vibratos had come. From the Newbies to the Glee family, they’d been through almost everything together. And, although he and Marley weren’t together anymore, he was still glad to just get the chance to spend some time with her.

_I found the weakness and put it to play  
Swore upon the stars I'd keep you til the night was day _

The six singers came together, their arms wrapping over each other’s shoulders. They sang together as one, belting out the Ellie Goulding song like it was their one true purpose. With the support of the other glee kids, there wasn’t anything they couldn’t do.

_Goodness gracious I can see the stars  
Callin' me out, callin' me out just to keep crawlin' into your arms _

As Marley finished the last note, everyone in the restaurant stood and applauded the group, cheering them on for another song.

Sam sat back, watching them perform, and thought back to his phone call with Mercedes earlier that day.

_“It’s hard being away from my family at this time of year,” Mercedes said quietly._

_“Yeah, I get that,” Sam agreed. “I only got to spend one day with mine, then I hurried back to Lima for The Vibratos concert.”_

_“You have spent more time in Lima than Kentucky, isn’t it weird to call it ‘home?’” Mercedes asked curiously._

_“My family is there,” Sam shrugged. “We’ve lived a lot of places, and even been without a house. But wherever we are together, it’s home.” He sighed. “I really wish I could have had more time with my little brother and sister especially.”_

_“You know, everyone always talks about home as a place, but I agree with you, it’s the people and the love that make me feel at home or not.”_

_“Well, they do say ‘home is where the heart is,’” Sam replied._

_Mercedes chuckled. “Yeah…” She cleared her throat. “At least I get to see everybody at Christmas. That’s not long now.”_

_“I’m looking forward to seeing you then too,” Sam said earnestly._

_Mercedes couldn’t stop the smile that blossomed on her face. “I’m looking forward to being with all of you. It’s the best part about coming home.”_

  
  
\-----------------------------------

  
And that's it for To Have A Home. See you next week and thank you for reading. 

[Here you can reblog the episode stills. ](http://gleeseasonfix.tumblr.com/post/111717943844/gleeseasonfix-episode-stills-to-have-a-home)

SONG LIST  
The Warblers: Short People by Randy Newman, cover by King’s Singers  
Mercedes: Home (from The Wiz), cover by Amber Riley  
Quinn and Tina: No Way by The Naked and The Famous  
Blaine: To Have a Home by Darren Criss  
The Vibratos: Goodness Gracious by Ellie Goulding


	9. Chang²

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the short Thanksgiving break, things are going back to normal again in the lives of our McKinley graduates. In Lima, Sam’s comic series is on a high of success but that’s not enough to make him stop daydreaming about Mercedes. Brittany and Santana, happily enjoying their romantic life together in sunny California, now have to figure out how to find their place in the business world of Los Angeles. Since Rachel left, Santana needs to find herself new clients to boss around but Brittany has a few self-beneficial ideas of her own concerning this. Mike Chang has feelings for Tina Cohen-Chang but won’t act on it and vice-versa. In the meantime, he hangs out with the gang in NYC, and Tina at Brown is finally respected the way she has always deserved. Kurt and Blaine, however, have some very sneaky, special plans for their two friends…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written by [ Soofreakincharmy ](http://soofreakincharmy.tumblr.com) and [ thedementress](http://thedementress.tumblr.com/)  
> Beta by [ HKvoyage ](http://hkvoyage.tumblr.com),  
> [ gingerfic ](http://archiveofourown.org/users/gingerfic/pseuds/gingerfic) and [ alwaysfallingforanidea ](http://alwaysfallingforanidea.tumblr.com/)
> 
> Special thanks to [ Dontrainonmyblaine ](http://dontrainonmyblaine.tumblr.com/) for being Sam's ghost writer and artist. 
> 
> Disclaimer: This is a work of fanfiction. All the characters and backstories belong to Glee and its creators.
> 
> Glee Season Fix (“GSF”) was written independently of spoilers about Glee Season 6. If songs or plots overlap, it’s due to coincidence or nature of the storylines that need resolution. If references pop up, we excuse ourselves for not being able to hold back.
> 
> Like on the show, GSF also includes songs and performances. There are links to full versions of each song, as well as a few verses of lyrics quoted in the scene. We hope you will enjoy listening as well as reading, but be aware that the written version is shortened, whereas the audio versions are the full songs.
> 
> In this episode we also feature some poetry by [ KickThePJ ](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCavTVjugW1OejDAq0aDzdMw). Check it out if you're in the mood for something new!

_So here's what you missed on Glee Season Fix_  
  
_Sam has been drawing little comic strips when he finds the time between working at the tire shop and helping the Vibratos which basically means he has a clone because he manages to still mope about Mercedes. There was a time when Santana worked with Rachel but now she doesn't so she works with other people and exchanges sweet lady kisses with Brittany, who once danced in Mercedes's shows but doesn't anymore? Both Mike and Tina like each other as more than friends but neither act on, which is amusing and frustrating to everyone around because if they're not planning on getting together why would they fuel they tension? But Mike Chang apart, Tina has been slaying at Brown, even though her path in life is still uncertain. Much like Rachel's, who has been auditioning to every role imaginable but they wouldn't cast her even if the role was of Rachel Berry. On other news, her barely tolerable personality is becoming less self centered after a trip to Lima, so that's nice. Also back from Ohio are Kurt and Blaine who have a wedding to plan, now with the approval of the Andersons._

_And that's what you missed_

December 2014

\-----------------------------------

Lima, OH  
  
\-----------------------------------  
[](http://de.tinypic.com?ref=jja1dd)

Accidental Heroes? _More like_ How To Get Away With Saving The World From Shady Bad Guys Without Really Trying   
  
by _Jacob Ben Israel (ComicVine.com_ )

_For those of you who apparently live under a rock or do not have internet access, “Accidental Heroes” is the new thing. And rightfully so._

_If you’re not familiar with the plot here’s a quick summary: two dorks, who like to dress as superheroes, have a tendency to stumble across bad guys who plot to end humanity as we know it. The premise does sound kind of stupid and cliché but all the stories are so funny and witty that they get me laughing after a long, mind-numbing day._

_There are weekly installments and each story contains a few chapters. If you have not read these small comic strips go here (x) and come back so you don’t get spoiled._

_Plot wise, these stories are not the best thing since sliced bread: they can get a bit repetitive and you can predict the end of the next strip if you’ve already read a couple. There are some plot holes but in all honesty I choose to ignore them in favor of the insanely funny situations Blond Chameleon and Nightbird are put in._

_Let’s talk about this week’s post, shall we? We’re starting a new journey with our favorite superhero duo and they just came back from their previous adventure in Europe where they stopped an evil villain from controlling everyone’s mind during the Eurovision broadcast._

_Upon their return, they accidentally (which is the comic’s running gag) collect the luggage belonging to the bad guys,The Banana Brothers, which is hilarious! Am I the only one who found it hysterical when the “superhero suitcase” had Batman briefs? Did anyone else see the irony? No? Fine I’ll laugh but myself but DON’T think I’m crazy, I am perfectly normal._

_(...)_

Blaine’s laughter rang through Sam’s headphones. The blond grinned widely and waited for Blaine to compose himself. Or to downgrade to giggles.

“You killed me,” Blaine hiccuped. “It’s the Batman briefs that got me.”

“Thank you,” Sam said, ruffling his blond hair. “I have a _dork_ sense of humor.” Blaine only wheezed some more at the pun.

Clicking sounds from his side preceded an exclamation of, “There! I sent the link to everyone.” Beaming proudly, Blaine added, “I think you’re getting somewhere, Sam. Don’t let this go. This is something special.”

Sam shifted uncomfortably. “Are we still talking about the comics?”

“What? Yeah we are.”

“Oh okay. Cause you said ‘don’t let go’ and ‘something special’--”

Blaine sighed knowingly. “Are we back to talking about Mercedes again?”

Sam had begun to speak his mind when Blaine quickly thought twice about it and raised a hand.

“No, Sam,” he said. “I think you’ve told me everything you want to say about her… _Twice._ Listen, I know that thinking out loud helps you, but I think I understand what’s in your heart.”

Sam fidgeted thoughtfully. Blaine racked his brain for a good analogy that Sam would really get…

“Remember in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets,” he said. “When Ginny had this huge crush on Harry, but he really didn’t notice her at all. But when Ginny started focusing on her own self and making other friends, Harry started falling for her because she was a smart badass who can whip your ass of the Quidditch field and cast the best Bat-Bogey Hex.”

Sam rolled his eyes upwards to the right as he made the connection. “So what you’re saying is that I should be Ginny,” he concluded. Blaine nodded.

“Yeah. Like focus on playing Quidditch by drawing more comics. And maybe someday, Mercedes will see that you’re a really talented Quidditch player. Just kidding, I mean artist. Comic artist.”

The blond let out a low whistle. “Now I get it,” he said.

“That’s better,” Blaine beamed. “I believe I now owe you the details on what happened with my parents…”

“Go on,” said Sam, leaning back into his chair and crossing his arms.

Blaine exhaled before he began as Sam took the cue to listen intently. Blaine told of how awkward it was at start, believing that they would try to convince them to postpone the moment. He went on and on for a couple of minutes about his talk with parents and how they initially wanted the wedding to be at Lima. Then when it came to the part where he played a short, sweet number on the piano, Blaine’s eyes misted up at the memory of seeing Kurt by his side while his family hugged him from behind. Sam’s smile was wide.

“So on my way back home, I realized that a lot of things I thought about my parents were just all in my head,” Blaine concluded. “And that I have to stop being so anxious about what they think--”

“They’re your family, dude. It’s cool to care what they think,” said Sam.

“Oh, right… yeah,” Blaine nodded. “But I think I’m still a work in progress. I have to learn how to…”

“Grow up?” Sam supplied.

“In that sense, yes.” There was a brief pause. “It feels weird, doesn’t it? When I was ten, I used to be excited about growing up because I thought that I would know everything by 21.”

Sam chuckled with touch of irony. “I don’t think any of us know what we’re doing. So we just gotta keep doing whatever we have do. Hey it’s like that ‘Meet the Andersons’ movie we Skype-watched last week! Something about keep moving forward, right?”

“It’s Robinsons, Sam,” Blaine laughed heartily. It was one of those times where Sam hasn’t realized he just made a funny joke. “Okay, moving on,” said Blaine, clapping his hands. “Hit me with your next comic idea.”

Sam was only too happy to oblige his best friend. “Right! So I’ve thought about what would happen if they were visiting a bookstore…”

\-----------------------------------

Los Angeles

\-----------------------------------

"Santana would you come here, honey?" Britt called from inside their bedroom.

"Two secs," Santana yelled in response as she finished drying the dishes. It was her turn and although it was late, she didn’t want to wake up to a sinkful of dishes. "What is it?" Santana asked as she entered the room.

"I'm thinking about restarting Fondue For Two," said the blonde.

"Okay, I love that you're including me in your decision but I'm failing to see how I can have an influence in said decision." Santana loved that Brittany was trying to build their life together and she was happy that she at least had something to do between auditions and jobs, but why would Brittany make a big deal about it?

"You remember how the show was, right? Interviewing our friends, gossip, but our friends aren't here anymore, except for Mercedes and yourself." Santana raised a mock-offended eyebrow at Britt mentioning her as a friend. "Well, you’re surely not just a friend,” she added with a giggle. “And I can't interview Lord Tubbington because he'll eat all the cheese and he's lactose intolerant so he can't and if I don't let him eat the cheese then he'll go back to smoking and I'm trying to make him quit." Santana had a way of telling when her girl was nervous about something. But she wouldn't push it. She was going to let Britt say whatever was on her mind when she was comfortable. Meanwhile she held her hands.

"What I'm trying to say is that I thought about revamping Fondue For Two but this time with the celebrities you work with" _Wait what?_  thought Santana, starting to freak out as well. Only then she noticed the celebrity magazines next to the blonde. The ones Santana had looked through while hunting for possible new clients, highlighting those whose reputations could be saved or improved with her magical PR powers (Lohan) and striking those beyond salvation (Kardashian). After all, she had helped Rachel so there weren't too many hopeless cases.

Britt knew who she was planning to work with and was trying to ask her if she could interview them? Overlooking the fact that that probably violated tons of rules and policies regarding her clients, and could destroy the reputation she had been building carefully over the past months (and that Rachel almost wrecked), what made Brittany think that actual celebrities would allow a quirky girl from Ohio to interview them? No offense to her girlfriend, who was _the_ sweetest unicorn on the face of earth (and she totally wasn't biased) but Santana interacted with the Hollywood people. She knew how rude and full headed they could be. Rachel Berry looked mild in comparison to them and since Santana was a newbie she didn't even handle big names. They'd tear sweet Britt to pieces.

Her girlfriend must've seen the look on her face. Maybe the unnaturally open eyes were what gave her away "Santana are you alright? You don't like the idea? Think about how great it is that I could publicize your clients to my not-so-tiny internet fan base."

"Britt, are you sure this is a good idea?"

"Yes, I just told you wh-"

"Because I know my clients. Some of them are really nice and would love to be interviewed by the sweetest person in the universe, but some of them are worse than Rachel Berry on steroids."  Brittany outright laughed at that. Santana was trying to stay serious here but it was hard when there was an adorable blonde in front of her.

"I know not everyone's as kind as you," Santana's eyes may or may not have opened to an unnatural scale once again. "But I really want to do this! Fondue for Two used to be so much fun!"

Brittany’s blue eyes were glowing with excitement and Santana felt her heart soften, already trying to figure out a way to make her girlfriend happy without getting herself in trouble as well. "I think I'll have to read all those huge rule books they gave me on the first day to make sure we don't get ourselves in a messy situation. But I don’t have a good feeling about this."

“How about you start with Mercedes? She was in Fondue for Two before, _and_ she’s a star now. And you could interview her both as a friend and as a celebrity. Does that sound good? Because the last thing I want is Lord Tubbington around the house with cheese gas.”

Brittany clapped her hands excitedly before throwing her arms around her girlfriend’s neck. “Oh my god, Santana. You’re an even bigger genius than I am! _Yes,_ that would be perfect!”

\-----------------------------------

New York City

\-----------------------------------

Down at 42nd Street in New York City, five friends stepped out of the cold and inside the comfortable temperature of The Gap. When Dani innocently suggested that they visit the store to help Mike with his wardrobe update, Blaine’s flushed look revealed that there was a story just begging to be told.

“No way!” Elliott guffawed after Blaine tried his best to pass off “The Gap Attack” as a casual funny story, but he and Dani were having none of it.

“Yes way,” Artie nodded, grinning. “Kurt told us everything when the Glee club used to have nightly group chats on Facebook.” He snorted. “I left the chat early because the secondhand embarrassment was _unreal._ ”

“I’ve always thought you would be the type to do something like that… and you actually did something like that!” Dani said in wonder. “That was probably the most embarrassing thing you’ve ever done.”

Blaine pretended to scrutinize a pair of pink and black argyle socks, hoping that his face would return to a normal shade. “Not really, it was… Okay, yes it was.”

Elliott only laughed louder.

“Anyways, thanks for the help, guys,” Mike earnestly said, kind enough to draw the attention away from his friend. “I really appreciate it. My college wardrobe needs more style and fewer tank tops. And I end up buying more dance stuff whenever I shop on my own.”

Elliott nodded and clapped a hand on Mike’s shoulder. “No worries, dude. Even though Kurt would be so much better at this than us… What about this?” He picked out a brown corduroy blazer that Mike stared at for awhile before shaking his head.

“Kurt’s busy at Vogue today, right? And not my style, sorry.” Elliott shrugged, neatly hung the garment back, and started scanning around the store. He then got distracted by the silver chain necklaces on display. Dani held up a crisp white oxford shirt.

“Here, try this. A lot of girls would walk into poles if you came down the street with the sleeves pushed back and two buttons open,” she said. Mike carefully considered it then took it from her with a smile.

“Thanks,” he said, draping it over his arm. “What else should I try on?”

“A fedora,” Artie joked. He and Elliott exchanged amused looks, the latter understanding the sarcasm.

Blaine waved a vague hand around the men’s department. “Okay, there’s a lot to choose from here. What sort of style are you going for?” he asked. “Something to wear to class? Sunday market? Weekend getaways?”

“A date?” Dani piped up somewhere from behind a rack of pants.

“W-well…” Mike suddenly stuttered. “I don’t think I have time for dates right now.”

“If Tina asked you out, you would have,” Artie countered smartly.

“Who’s Tina?” said Elliott.

“My ex,” Mike smiled, then promptly realized that he had just smiled at the mention of her. He was definitely screwed.

“That you still like?” Elliott gauged from his reaction, looking up from the scarves he was perusing nearby for himself. Mike shook his head. He stretched his arms up above his head then locked his fingers behind his neck, looking up at the ceiling.

“I… really don’t know.” He spoke with honesty. “We’re talking a lot these days, and I really care for her as a friend. I’m not sure if she still feels the same way now.”

“What changed? You guys are still the same,” Artie said.

“Nah, man.” Mike dropped his arms and exhaled loudly. “She’s a new kind of Tina. Not high school Tina anymore. She’s...” He dropped his eyes and played with the fringes of a plaid scarf that was draped fashionably over a mannequin. “Smarter, funnier, more popular. And I’m still dancing, but I’m different guy now. And I don’t know if our ‘new’ versions would groove together.”

“Okay,” Blaine sighed with patience. He faced Mike and placed a hand on each of the taller boy’s shoulder, holding him in place. “If you really want to woo Tina again, what do you honestly want to say to her?”

Mike’s eyes glazed over from the thoughts running in his mind. There were so many things to say; sweet things, crazy things, funny things that would bring out that wild laugh of hers. When he opened his mouth, [he sang](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUe7WN4Htug).

 _Now excuse me if I sound rude_   
_But I love the way that you move_   
_And I see me all over you now_

He cheekily tossed the oxford shirt over Blaine’s head and hustled over to Dani and Elliott and moved them to a more spacious area of the store.  
  
 _There's just something about you,_ Dani and Elliott vocally backed-up.

Mike moved to the middle of the Gap, joined by Artie, to default to his sleekest dance moves.  
  
 _I kinda like it when you bring me to my knees_

And from his knees on the floor, Mike jumped to a waist-high display platform and let everything he felt for Tina let loose in his dance.

 _You got me wrapped up_   
_Around your finger_   
_I'd do anything for your love now_

Backed up by Elliott, Dani, and Blaine shimmying in sunglasses plucked out from a rack, Artie took up the bridge.

 _My princess so intelligent_  
 _Make me wanna reapply to school for the hell of it_  
 _I'll be the student, you be the teacher_  
 _Ms. Sophisticated, such a pleasure to meet ya_  
  
Strobe lights flashed throughout the store as Blaine, Elliott, Dani, and several Gap employees clapped their hands to the beat, singing.

Mike hopped down from his platform, footed over to the cashier counter, and leapt up. The lights were all on him now as he busted out his best freestyles.  
  
 _Girl, you got me wrapped up_  
 _There's just something about you_

Everyone was clapping and hollering as the strobe lights flickered with heightened energy. Mike took a bow and--

“Mike?” Blaine’s voice snapped him out of his reverie. Mike blinked back into reality and slowly realized that his friends were staring at him. He must’ve spaced out for a while there.

“I’m fine,” he smiled. “I think I’ll tell her everything I feel… When the time is right.”

\-----------------------------------

New York City, a few days later

\-----------------------------------

Kurt and Blaine strolled down the street, shoulders raised and head down to protect their faces from the biting wind. They had been walking in companionable silence for a few minutes now but Blaine decided to break it.

"Mike finally admitted to the general world that he still has feelings for Tina."

"Where's the surprise? I thought it was obvious to everyone. He confirmed it during a Monday night dinner last like a month ago," Kurt's face was a mixture of fake exasperation and fondness.

"True, however he _announced_ that he was going to tell her," Blaine countered.

"Dear lord, please tell me you didn't give him relationship advice," said Kurt with a sigh.

Blaine gave a small frown. "One, I am a very romantic person and there's nothing wrong with my advice to other people--"

"Except that you have a tendency for big moves that can be, and have been, disastrous," Kurt interrupted him with a playful shove. "Still cute though."

"Two, he said he was going to tell her _when the time was right_ "

"Those two are never going to end up together at this rate," Kurt mumbled against his scarf. "Are you sure Tina feels the same way about Mike though?"

"You were at the reunion and even though I know, I'm all you see," this earned Blaine another shove. "It was clear Tina was looking at Mike like he was the only person in the room, like, pretty much the whole time. I swear, if we could get them hang out with each other _in person_  or we could just lock them in a fake elevator and hope that their chemistry is too intense that they’ll have to admit what they feel for each other."

"We could. It's close to winter break, have you chosen what to give to Tina?'

\-----------------------------------

Brown University

\-----------------------------------

 _A? Nono it's D... No it's A! Dear god both answers make sense. Why do multiple choice questions have to be so hard? Tina glanced at her watch for the tenth time in the last two seconds. You still have 5 minutes, think well Tina. C can't be the answer because author wasn’t alive in the 19th century, B can't be right because he wasn’t alive in the 20th either and E just sounds plain stupid. So A or D? D, D! Of course it's D how could I even consider A as correct. It was so obvious_.

The bell rang as Tina wrote down the final answer to her English Lit final. It had gone surprisingly well considering she had freaked out about forgetting everything five minutes before entering the exam room. But she had worked hard. And it showed!

She left the exam room with a spring on her step. All finals were done and the only thing she had to do when she arrived back at her dorm room was take a nap to make up for all those sleepless nights that had built up in the last few weeks.

"No more exams!" She shouted in glee to no one in particular, earning disapproving glares from her peers that hadn't gotten ridden of that burden yet. "Sorry," she yelled again, running to her dorm room. Her nerves over the exam had giver her an electrifying rush, but it was wearing off fast and a nice nap was all she could think about when she reached her room and she felt the gravitational pull of her pillow.

She was already drifting off, wrapped comfortably in her nest of blankets, when her phone buzzed. _Nononono why are you waking me up you horrid piece of technology?_  She thought to herself as she ignored the call.

It didn't work. Someone kept calling and she was still awake. She might as well answer it, sound grumpy and hopefully the other person would hang up and she could get back to focusing only on her pillow.

"Yes?" She tried to sound as angry as she possibly could in her sleepy state.

"Tina! I was starting to get worried because you weren't answering your phone. Were you busy?" _Blaine not now I have to sleep._

"If you count napping as work… very." She was still grumpy and she was still letting it show in her voice.

"I'm so sorry but hey, maybe this will brighten your day." She huffed in response and he took it as his cue "Me and the gang-"

"So you're in a gang now?" she asked, feigning surprise.

"A very badass one, you don't want to get on our bad side. Anyway, we thought you could come to New York, stay with us for a few days and have the whole ‘Winter in En-Why-See’ experience. Rachel will be here as well for audition reasons, I believe." It sounded tempting but-

"Stay with us as in ‘stay with you and Kurt at the loft where I'll be a very obvious third wheel’?"

"You won't be -  Rachel is there too!"

"Right, that doesn't make it any less awkward. To be honest I don't think I'll come, Blaine. I'm saving money to buy plane tickets to Ohio so I don't have to drive for 12 hours straight since Quinn is not coming with me. I don't think I can afford the trip to New York right now." It was a shame really - winter in New York sounded lovely.

"Tinaaaa," he sings into her ear. "It's our Christmas present to you!"

"Our? Yours and whose?" she was sure it was Blaine and Kurt’s but somewhere at the back of her mind was the nagging thought that maybe Mike also had something to do with this “Christmas present”.

"Mine and Kurt's. Say you can come please!" She couldn't see him but she would bet he was giving his best puppy dog eyes to the poor thing that he happened to be staring at.

"I'll think about it-"

"It's a plan then. Don't worry it's all arranged. I'll email you the details"

"I haven't even said yes!" She was going to say yes anyway but she didn’t want to give Blaine the satisfaction of agreeing right away.

"You haven't said no either and I won't risk you forgetting to say yes later. Kisses!"

"Bye Blaine!"

\-----------------------------------

_FONDUE FOR TWO. FONDUE FOR TWO. THAT’S SOME HOT DISH. FONDUE FOR TWO._

“Hey guys, it’s me again!” Brittany greeted with a cheeky wave. “I know I promised I would finally get that interview with Lord Tubbington, but he tells his fans he has to regretfully postpone and to stay tuned for future appearances.” Lowering her voice to a murmur, the viewer had to lean in towards the speakers or press their headphones closer.

“But he’s actually working on his brand identity right now, so he won’t accept interviews from anyone less than Ellen Degeneres, even if I already have the blonde hair, dance all the time, and like boobs.

Sooo my next guest is fresh off the LAX and is none other than Grammy award winner, Mercedes Jones!”

The camera panned out in time just to catch Mercedes saying, “I’m not a Grammy winner, Brit. Well, not yet.”

“Of course you are,” Brittany said as a matter of factly, pulling out a cheese-carved sculpture from under her chair and handed it to her friend with a Hollywood smile.

“Brittany, this is a cheese Oscar statue you just gave me,” Mercedes deadpanned, but nevertheless accepted the statue. “Oh god, it smells! Is this Limburger?!”

“Now Mercedes,” Brittany continued, checking her index card as Mercedes quickly put down the statue and wiped her hands on her pants. “You just finished your mall tour a few months ago. Congratulations! It was a great crowd and I had so much fun dancing for you. The question is, when are you going to date Sam Evans again?”

“Wait… what?”

“Are the rumors also true that during one of your mall tours, your old boyfriend Shane Tinsley was so starstruck by your singing, that he asked you out again after ‘Hell to the No’ in Columbus?”

“Brittany, you were in all of my mall tours. I think you can answer that.”

“So from your own mouth, what can you say to that?”

Mercedes paused for a while before answering, “Hell to the no.”

“There we go, viewers! False!” Brittany held up a red buzzer and squeezed it enthusiastically as she tossed her index cards toward the camera."

“Sweetheart, did you do the laundry?” Santana’s voice rang out off-camera.

“I only washed your bra paddings before I got busy!” Brittany replied loudly towards the door.

“Why, what are you doing now?”

“I’m filming a new episode of Fondue for Two, just like you told me to.”

There was a loud thud, a colorful stream of expletives, and a door slamming before Brittany turned back to the camera, looking normal. Mercedes was trying very hard not to laugh.

“I’m fine! Nothing’s wrong!” Santana shouted from somewhere in the house.

“My girlfriend says she’s fine. Nothing a kiss couldn’t fix,” Britt added with a saucy wink. Turning to Mercedes, she says, “Let’s talk about Sam Evans.”

“Let’s not.” Mercedes’ forehead wrinkled.

“My viewers want to know when are you finally going to kiss the internet’s budding comic artist.”

“By ‘viewers’, do you mean Sam or Blaine?” Mercedes responded dryly.

“That’s confidential information,” Brittany said, waving a tablet in view. Visible was a Facebook chat that Brittany had been typing on at some point.

“Britt,” Mercedes groaned. “You’re not live-chatting this with Sam, are you?”

“No, of course not.”

“Oh thank goodness.”

“It’s Kurt.”

Mercedes closed her eyes and counted to ten. Kurt was the prince of glee gossip and she knew she would be hearing about this from Rachel. Or Puck.

As though reading her mind, Brittany continued. “Another person who has an ‘I Dated Mercedes Jones Before She Was Famous’ club jacket is Noah Puckerman, let’s bring that up.”

Mercedes blinked. “Wow… That happened? I kind of forgot I dated him.”

“Mercedes Jones used to date bad boys, pass it on.” Brittany waved a discouraging finger at the camera. “You can’t touch this one, Bieber.

“Last talk, did you know Shane is a manager trainee at Petco?” she said.

Mercedes sighed, tired and uncomfortable with Brittany bringing up her ex-boyfriend again. “No Brit, I haven’t spoken or seen Shane in years,” she said.

“Well he is and that’s where Lord Tubbington gets his stash at 20% off. You heard it here, ladies and gentlemen. Shane Tinsley is a catnip drug dealer and therefore imperfect for our shining star Mercedes Jones. Join us again for another episode of Fondue for Two!”

Mercedes picked at the fondue pot. “Brit, what’s this green goo?”

“It’s pureed broccoli and whipped cream. Lord Tubbington ate all the cheese.”

\-----------------------------------

New York City

\-----------------------------------

The glow of the New York setting sun filtered through the strands of Rachel's hair as she leisurely strolled down a neighborhood she had not yet explored, fingertips brushing the wire fence of a preschool playground. She mentally pictured a young dark-haired girl with her hands on her hips, yelling at boys about the proper way to build a sand castle.

What if she had come on too strong? What if she learned earlier in life to play nice? Would that have assured her a foolproof trail to stardom instead of a one-time, big-time fireworks display?

Sighing, Rachel turned the opposite direction and walked away from further thoughts… ([x](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sClRbhCLOEs))

 _We've been waiting for the sun,_   
_We've been waiting for the sun,_   
_To come out and play,_   
_All these rainy days,_   
_Are getting old._

\---

...as Tina came striding down the hallway of Brown University. The heels of her boots clacked with authority as she entered a classroom where a small group of college freshmen eagerly waited for her. It was only right that she made use of her free time to tutor these kids in a class she aced.

Tina paused at the sight of ten pairs of eyes lighting up at her entrance. She relished in finally knowing what it felt like to be respected and looked-up to.

 _We've been waiting for the stars,_   
_We've been waiting for the stars,_   
_Just to light away,_   
_And take the night away,_   
_And pain us all._

\---

Rachel glanced down at her phone. No messages. She checked her email and Facebook. Nothing. No one was trying to reach out to her, she realized with sadness. She failed. She actually _failed._ Growing up, she always saw herself as the misunderstood genius. With the years between high school graduation and now, it hit her hard that it was never the case. She let herself be misunderstood instead of making the effort to actually _understand._

\---

The younger students nodded in clarity at Tina’s raised eyebrow. It took them some time to get there but thanks to Tina’s patience, they understood that it was okay to admit that they struggled.

“I have a friend who never gave up when it came to getting what she wants,” she told them while they scribbled their notes. “She was manic in that way, bothered a lot of people including me. Right now, she believes that she has failed.” After a pause, Tina added. “But I don’t think she’ll be that way for long. She’ll always find a way to dream again.”

 _We are waiting on a dream,_   
_We are waiting on a dream,_   
_So we go to sleep,_   
_But nothing happens when,_   
_We wait too long,_   
_So we go where...._

\---

She wanted to break into song, she truly wanted to. But nothing was coming to Rachel’s heart. So she settled for a slow, sweet hum that layered the clacking beat of her footsteps.

She found herself in Central Park. Perching herself on a large exposed tree root, she began to sing. Not for anyone, not for showcasing what she could do - Rachel just sang for herself.

\---

Tina watched her students pack up and chatter excitedly.

“Thank you, Tina,” a red-headed boy said. Rather shyly, he added, “You’re my only hope in passing this class.”

“Awww thanks, Ian,” Tina said. She raised her hand for a high five, then a fistbump before watching him leave the classroom. She took comfort in the fact that even if she wasn’t on her way to honors, she would still bathe in her pride that she was helping people who respected her mind.

And speaking of helping people, Tina thought, Rachel had had enough time to mope. It was time for her to get back up.

\---

 _No one can catch us,_   
_Nothing can change this,_   
_Covered in Stardust,_   
_Invincible_

Rachel looked up to the purple sky as the New York nightlife slowly blinked awake. _No,_ she thought.

“I survived my first NYADA audition. I survived losing someone I loved,” she recited to herself. She stood up, brushed away some dirt, and walked home with a renewed sense of determination.

“I can survive anything.”

 

\-----------------------------------

A store in New York City

\-----------------------------------

Kurt looked at Blaine's suggestions for Christmas gifts. Some were great, like Tina's plane ticket, which had already been taken care of. Others not so much.

"Blaine we're not getting Sam batman briefs."

"Uh, yes we are," Blaine replied distractedly, looking like he was searching for something.

"I know he's one of your best friends, but don't you think that's crossing a line?"

"Nope, not at all. Besides, he'll get the joke."

"Oh, so there's a joke now? Where do I pass my membership to the Dork Club?"

"Nowhere," said Blaine as he kissed Kurt's cheek. "It's for dorks only and you are way too fashionable to be a dork."

"You are a fashionable dork," Kurt replied. "I mean, you managed to match a striped bowtie with a plaid shirt, that's not an easy feat."

"Oh my god! I have the Kurt Hummel stamp of approval. This is the best day of my life!"

"You dork, you have had my stamp of approval ever since I stamped my lips on yours." Kurt started kissing Blaine, pouting when his boyfriend pulled back way too quickly.

"Public places Kurt," he whispered with a smile.

"Fine," Kurt huffed. "Tina, check. Sam, apparently check. Rachel? Any ideas."

"Glow in the dark stars so she remembers she is a star. That way she can get back to being the Rachel we all know and almost love, move out, and we can have the apartment all to ourselves. Seriously, the walls are literally curtains." Blaine knew that this was a bit too harsh and not entirely fair, but he had gotten used to live with Kurt alone and though he didn't mind having visits, having Rachel live with them full time could be a nuisance.

"You know what? That's a great idea. Rachel, check. By the way, I already got my dad and Carole matching scarves so that the can both be fabulous. What are we getting for your parents?"

"It's not urgent."

"Blaine Warbler, is there something wrong that you're not telling me?" Kurt's voice flooded with concern.

"No, no, nothing's wrong, believe me. It's just that this year Copper couldn't come from LA so my parents decided to surprise him and spend Christmas in California with him. Besides, it's only fair considering how many Christmases my brother has spent in LA on his own over the past few years."

"I don't understand. Why aren't we getting them a present then?"

"Well, we won't give it in person, so we might as well wait for sales season and save some money for the wedding and our apartment."

"I love you."

\-----------------------------------

The loft, NY

\-----------------------------------

Rachel was shaken from her reverie when she heard someone knocking. She decided to ignore the sound in favor of some more introspection as she tried to understand what to do with her life. Broadway seemed impossible at the moment. Her unprofessional exit from Funny Girl blemished her reputation to an irreparable degree. Now she had no college degree, no job and she was stuck living with her two friends, who she loved very dearly but lord, her noise-cancelling headphones did not do the trick during those nights. She was beginning to think that one of these days she was going to walk into an audition and announce, “Hi, I’m Rachel Berry and I will be auditioning for the role of Awkward Third Roommate. I will be singing “I Can’t Get No Satisfaction.”

Her whole body jerked as the door started yelling, "BLAINE DEVON ANDERSON! You asked me to come to New York and now you have the nerve to leave me outside freezing my butt off. Thank god that creepy grandpa let me in. I swear that if you weren't King Charming the Third-"

Rachel rushed to answer the door, realizing it was Tina outside and not some random human being who decided to bother her. "Hi Tina! I'm so sorry it took me so long to answer the door. Kurt and Blaine left me on door duty while they went grocery shopping and I got distracted. Do you need help with your suitcase?"

"I'm alright, thank you," Tina quirked an eyebrow as she continued, "Who are you and what have you done with my friend Rachel Berry?" She dove in for a hug.

"My cover has been blown," replied Rachel in a fake robotic voice. "Now I must kill you to ensure that my mission for world domination continues smoothly." Her voice returned to normal as she added, "But in all seriousness I'm just trying to be a better friend and a better person."

"And that's why you offered to carry my suitcase instead of closing the door behind you before I could come in?"

"Exactly!" She replied brightly, "and it's really nice to have some company around here. Kurt and Blaine are great but living with two people in an established relationship can be immensely awkward," Rachel continued. “And I missed being around girls since I moved back to New York. What have you been up to?”

 _Was Rachel Berry redirecting the conversation back to her?_  “Well, I haven’t picked my major yet but I’ve been working with the guidance counselor and doing vocation tests. Even though I don’t have a clear idea of what I want to do yet, I know I want to create something, you know?”

“Not really, I’m more of a performer, but I’m glad you’re finding your path”

“Well, not all of us have well defined childhood dreams.”

“It’s for the best, that way you don’t get disappointed when you mess everything up,” Rachel added bitterly.

“Hey hey hey, I already saw you shine on a Broadway stage, I know your talent, god knows how intimidated I felt by it back in high school. You were such a driven person back then and you still are. You’re going to step back on that stage again Rachel. You know what you need? A [song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9Y9jKneTPM)!”

 _Every word's a new regret if you say it right, right_   
_Every wound can be forgotten in the right light_   
_Oh nostalgia, I don't need you anymore_   
_'Cause the silent days are over and the beat is at my door_

Rachel regretted her words, as well as her actions and pretty much every single decision she made after she landed the role of Fanny. Now she entered each audition believing that this would be the role that would get her back onto Broadway. But the moment she said her name, it was like someone pulled the rug from under her feet when they told her to get the hell off their stage.

It didn’t feel like she could do whatever she liked. She had a reputation preceding her. Whenever she was recognized all people could think how she was “the overeager child who thought she was too good for Broadway”, how, when they pitied her, “she had been too young and immature to carry the responsibility of a leading role” . Wherever she went she was Rachel Berry and now that meant “ungrateful brat”.

Tina felt like the “sing a motivational song to make all your problems go away” plan they used to rely on back in high school wasn’t working that well. Rachel was still moping and wallowing in self pity and she needed to, at least, be distracted for a few moments. Tina pulled Rachel to her feet and started doing a silly dance around her.

 _'Cause you could be your own spotlight (a-yo, a-yo)_   
_You could be your own spotlight (a-yo, a-yo)_   
_You could be your own spotlight_   
_You could be the star, you can shine so bright (a-yo, a-yo)_   
_You could be your own--_

Rachel giggled when Tina made a particularly funny face, feeling better already. She had to keep going and pushing in the direction of her dream. She had to keep auditioning even knowing that she would not get the role. One day, she hoped, her talent would outshine her infamous reputation.

Rachel Berry was going to be her own spotlight for as long as her place under one was denied. She was going to shine so bright that her talent would blind everyone else. And her flame wasn’t going to be ephemeral. Oh no, her drive was going to fuel the flames of the star she knew she was.

'Cause I had, a little bit of bad luck  
No wonder this crumbling world's stuck  
  
She had burned her bridges and made a lot of mistakes. It was her own fault. She had been young (well, she was still young) and naive, overeager and irresponsible, but she was a new Rachel now. Now she knew what she wanted and she was going to work hard to get it. Oh so hard. She wasn’t going to expect the world to be handed to her on a silver platter simply because she was talented. She was going to work hard and earn her place under the spotlight.  
  
You could be your own spotlight...

Tina fell to the sofa as soon as she finished the song, feeling more tired from her silly dance as she expected. Still, she had been successful. Rachel had a small smile on her face and her eyes gleamed with the determination and perseverance she was known for in high school.

“Feeling better?”

“A bit yes. I just realized that if I believe in myself, as cheesy as it may sound, I’ll be successful. I made a lot of mistakes and my reputation precedes me, but that won’t stop me. I’m a star and I’ll keep on shining even if they try to dull my spark.”

“Only Rachel Berry would use a star metaphor to describe her situation.”

“Hey, you were the one who sang a song named _Spotlight._ How could I not use a star metaphor?”

“True, true. I just hope your light doesn’t blind you,” those words rang true to Rachel’s ears. Once her success made her feel like a superwoman and like she owned the world. She wouldn’t let herself think that way again.

“You know what, Tina, I should keep you around for your wise words,” Rachel said with a laugh, her face serious as she kept talking. “Every time I screw up, you’re here for me, even when I pretty much ignored you for most of high school. First you helped me meet with Ms. Tibideaux so I could fix my NYADA audition, now you’re making me feel like I’m worth something again,” Rachel hugged Tina for the second time that night. “You were always a team player, helping others so they could be at their fullest. Just don’t forget to play for your own team as well.”

“Isn’t this a new Rachel? This one isn’t afraid of spotlights making it hard to see her star at night.”

\-----------------------------------

Lima, Ohio, the next morning

\-----------------------------------

Sam got up early to sketch. He had been losing inspiration the night before and decided to take his art out into the park.

 _Shucks, that almost rhymed,_  Sam thought amusedly. Sketchbook under his arm and pencils tucked away in his pocket with his hand, he looked for a good quiet place to concentrate.

And like all artists, writers, graphic designers, and creatives alike, he ended up at Starbucks.

He sat at the communal table after ordering a cookies and cream Frappuccino. With his earpods in, Sam sketched away with a refreshed focus.

He could see it in his head; Nightbird and Human Chameleon were browsing the graphic novels section and were perusing the Spider-Man collection until--

“Excuse me.”

Sam blinked. The muffled voice behind his Taylor Swift song was asking for his attention. Looking up, he pulled out his earpod to respond to a man in his mid-thirties.

“May I help you, sir?” Sam said politely.

The man smiled and held out the hand that wasn’t clutching a Venti coffee cup. Sam shook it, coming to a personal conclusion that this man probably did not sell illegal substances inside bananas.

“Marcus Lamex, art editor of the Lima Herald. That’s a pretty funny comic you’ve got there.” He was pointing to a piece of paper Sam had put out for reference. It was an old strip where the Accidental Heroes had just captured a bank robber by taking a selfie.

“Sam Evans. And thanks,” Sam said, grinning. “I run a comic blog called ‘Accidental Heroes’.” He then launched into a passionate spiel about his work that Marcus took interest in.

Nodding in approval, the editor pulled out a business card from his wallet.

“Listen, you have something good going on there. I want you to call or email me if you’re interested in contributing to our newspaper.”

“Cool! I will,” said Sam. Shaking this man’s hand one last time, he made sure the editor was out of sight before punching an excited fist in the air.

\-----------------------------------

New York City, the next night

\-----------------------------------

Kurt was acting a little antsy. Tina had her arm wrapped around his and could feel him fidgeting. She rolled her eyes.

“Now, Tina,” Kurt began. “I--”

“Set me up on a date,” Tina answered flatly. Pinching the dainty Zara skirt she had on that Kurt had especially hand picked for her, she said, “I know what you’re up to, Hummel. You’ve set me up on a blind date!”

“Not exactly blind, really,” Blaine’s familiar voice sailed in the dark a couple of meters in front of them. Accompanying him was a tall and very well-dressed man. Maybe this blind date won’t be so bad--

“Mike?” Tina gasped and came to a halt. Her eyes quickly traveled over his body and her eyebrows shot up in appreciation. Damn, boy cleaned up well!

Her ex was stunned as well. “Blaine,” Mike breathed. “You didn’t tell me Tina was coming too.”

“Oh gee, how awkward. Running into your ex on our date,” Blaine muttered sarcastically. “Mike. Tina.” He glanced at both of them. “We love you both and Kurt and I want to give you guys an opportunity for a second chance. So we have set you up on a not-date!”

“A what?” Tina was baffled.

“A not-date,” Kurt smiled, shimmying his shoulders in a cheeky manner. “It’s where two friends hang out in a conveniently romantic space.”

Both Changs reddened furiously.

“But not to worry, we have set you guys up in this really tasteful hole in the wall poetry bar Kurt and I found,” Blaine proudly declared. All four heads turned to the left; cement steps descended to a dark green door where the strains of a guitar floated out into the night.

“Table reserved for two for Chang-squared,” Kurt supplied into the silence that was quickly becoming awkward as Tina and Mike weren’t looking at each other. Kurt and Blaine exchanged worried glances, suddenly unsure if this was a good idea.

Tina was having an internal war that involved her logical brain and her rebellious heart. Before she could say anything, someone had taken her hand. When she glanced up, Mike’s eyes softened into hers and held on to her hand tighter.

“Let’s go,” he said. “It should be fun, right?” Tina nodded mutely and followed him into whatever awaited them that night.

\---

They really had no idea what to expect in a poetry bar. All they had gathered so far upon sitting at their table near the stage was that it was a cozy place where drinks flowed and the food that passed by them smelled amazing.

And a rap battle was happening onstage, that is if “rap” meant “slam poetry with a guitar”.

As it was the pair’s first venture into performance poetry, they were rather baffled at how the rules worked. Either way, they ordered a pizza and club sodas while a boy was completely [owning the stage](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kpwyzJ6SvOo).

They were mesmerized to say the least. The performer’s voice welcomed the audience to a strange desert and then jerked them back and forth with the tempo, building momentum then carrying them down.

Mike’s foot was tapping to the rhythm as his head bounced to the poem. Tina knew what was coming next and leaned forward.

“Mike, don’t you dare upstage that poor boy’s performance,” she hissed.

“But I’m feeling it, Tina. It’s called ‘experimental’,” Mike said, slightly whining. He made a move to get up but she pulled him back down to his seat.

“Mike, no!”

“Mike, yes!” And he stood up.

As Tina began to get flustered from embarrassment and hid behind her hand, Mike laughed and dropped back down to his seat.

“I’m just kidding.” His face lit up and he placed a sincere hand on top of hers. “I wouldn’t want to spend a single minute away from your side tonight.” _Smooth one, Chang._

The grin that bloomed on Tina’s face was worth it. Though she didn’t miss the way Mike’s foot continued to tap to the beat.

_And so you wash up on a nearby shore_

_Your body is no more than an ancient shipwreck_

_And you can finally relax_

\---

“Dinner was great, right?” Tina asked as she and Mike left the poetry bar.

“Super,” he replied with an over excited tone, a tense atmosphere looming over both of them. Inside the poetry bar, the outside world was muffled as different performers played out the escapism both needed from their college routine. It was amazing how the rest of dinner flowed as they were able to talk about the most inane things, but now that they had to part, their most basic social functions had stopped working.

“How are you going to… uh--”

“By foot, the loft is pretty close.”

“I guess I’ll walk with you and then get the subway?”

“Sure.”

Even after the cringe worthy exchange, Tina and Mike fell into step and conversation flowed easily again. She didn’t know if it was because they were together once but her connection with Mike had never faded. Perhaps it was even stronger now because they were both different, more mature and wiser. Tina’s emotions were jumbled up. She and Mike talked often and their relationship was more than a mere friendship, but somehow talking to him face to face was an exhilarating experience, something surprisingly new considering their history. ([x](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyxLxbjj2PA))

 _Glow is low and it's dimming_   
_And the silence is ringing_   
_And I can almost feel your breath_   
_I can almost feel the rest_

Tina was fidgeting and Mike was starting to get nervous as well. The air between them was clearer but both of them were hyper-aware of the other’s presence. They didn’t look at each other, focusing on the sidewalk in front of them, not daring to move an inch closer to each other, confused of what that would mean. But they both felt the pull.

Mike dared to look at Tina for a few moments. They hadn’t seen each other in person since the reunion. And with the mood romantic dinner lingering… He was scared. What he told Artie, Blaine and the other guys was true - he and Tina were different people than when they were in high school, but their newer selves did fit together. But did Tina agree? Would she be willing to be with him again?

Tina didn’t know how but she didn't know where she was. Engrossed in her conversation with Mike and somewhat lost in her thoughts, she must have missed some turn and she was now lost in New York City. She looked around trying to place herself, her eyes meeting Mike’s as she realized he was already looking at her.

“I’m lost.”

 _My mind's gone on running_   
_My hands cut loose_   
_Yeah, but there's no need for answers_   
_Just the things you gotta do_

Mike’s laugh broke the moment, as he took Tina’s hand and started running straight ahead. She struggled to keep up, barely managing to not trip in her heels and slip on the melting snow, unable to contain giggles of joy.

“We have reached your castle, your highness,” Mike said as he did an exaggerated bow when they reached the loft. It turned out they had been really close and Tina freaked out for the entirety of two seconds for no reason. They were both laughing breathlessly, chests heaving from the small jog when Mike decided to go for a goodbye hug. “I really enjoyed this.”

 _Standing in the eye of the storm_   
_My eyes start to roam_   
_To the curl of your lips_   
_In the center of eclipse_   
_In total darkness I reach, I reach out and touch_

Parting from the hug, Tina looked into Mike’s eyes again. She felt the pull, the irresistible tug to kiss him. She had almost forgotten how nice and soft Mike’s lips looked...

\-----------------------------------

Fire escape, The Loft, NY  
\-----------------------------------

“Sit down, Kurt. You could fall and break your neck,” Blaine idly said. They were both braving the nippy air for a peek at Tina and Mike walking home hand in hand. If they were lucky, there would be a good night kiss. If they were unlucky, they’d be told off for spying.

Kurt obliged and sat down, but still kept a sharp eye at the sidewalk. The couple sat outside for a couple more minutes before Blaine’s phone chirped an incoming text. Blaine opened it, and frowned.

“Who is it?” Kurt murmured. He hated the cold but wouldn’t want to pass up the opportunity to witness the fruits of their matchmaking.

“It’s Mike,” Blaine replied. “We’ve got a problem.”

The text read:  
  
**I think I screwed up.**  
________________________________________

  
Thank you so much for reading this week's episode of Glee Season Fix! Tune in next week for our Christmas episode!   
  
Songs:  
Wrapped Up by Olly Murs ft. Travie McCoy  
Stardust by Lena  
Spotlight by Patrick Stump  
Touch by Troye Sivan  
[Spread the word on Tumblr after reading?](http://gleeseasonfix.tumblr.com/post/112456791716/click-here-to-read-episode-9-written-by) 

[ Click here ](http://gleeseasonfix.tumblr.com/post/112456791716/click-here-to-read-episode-9-written-by) [ Here you can reblog the episode stills. ](http://gleeseasonfix.tumblr.com/post/112339431141/episode-stills-chang-gsf-ep-9-after-the-short)


	10. It's a Wonderful Glee

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The kids have had a whirlwind year, but now it’s time for the holidays and what better way to celebrate Christmas is there than a reunion house party in Rachel Berry’s infamous basement? Everyone’s invited.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written by [ Sapienveneficus ](http://sapienveneficus.tumblr.com/) and [ to-write-is-to-bleed ](http://to-write-is-to-bleed.tumblr.com/)  
> Beta by [ HKvoyage ](http://hkvoyage.tumblr.com),[ alwaysfallingforanidea ](http://alwaysfallingforanidea.tumblr.com/)  
> Special Thanks to [ gingerfic ](http://archiveofourown.org/users/gingerfic/pseuds/gingerfic)
> 
> Disclaimer: This is a work of fanfiction. All the characters and backstories belong to Glee and its creators.  
> Warning: This episode mentions and deals with the loss of Finn. 
> 
> Glee Season Fix (“GSF”) was written independently of spoilers about Glee Season 6. If songs or plots overlap, it’s due to coincidence or nature of the storylines that need resolution. If references pop up, we excuse ourselves for not being able to hold back.
> 
> Like on the show, GSF also includes songs and performances. There are links to full versions of each song, as well as a few pieces of lyrics quoted in the scene. We hope you will enjoy listening as well as reading, but be aware that the written version is shortened, whereas the audio versions are the full songs.

_Here’s what you missed on Glee Season Fix_

_Kurt and Blaine having been hard at work planning their wedding. Hey, aren’t they still college students too? That sounds busy. Luckily they get to take a break and go visit Kurt's folks for the holidays._

_Tina and Mike are, well, what exactly is going on with Tina and Mike. Are they friends, pals, dating, engaged, what? With the way these Glee kids pair up, you never can tell._

_And that brings us to Sam and Mercedes. They used to date, but then they broke up so that Mercedes could date Shane and Sam could date every girl who ever expressed even the slightest interest in the Glee club. And the school nurse. Then they got back together in New York, and now they’re friends, but it's complicated._

_And now that it’s Christmas, all the Glee kids will have to get together and sing at some point. I think it’s like a law, or something._

_And that’s what you missed on,_

_Glee_

 

December 2014

\-----------------------------------

The Loft, Bushwick, New York

\-----------------------------------

“Kurt, will you hurry up? Our shuttle’s supposed to be here in 20 minutes, and it’s going to take at least two trips to carry all this stuff down the stairs. You know the elevator’s broken again.”

“Blaine, relax. I just need to do one final sweep of the bathroom to make sure we haven’t forgotten anything.”

“Relax? Who are you and what have you done with my fiancé, Kurt Hummel?”

Kurt rolled his eyes as he came back into the living room.“ Your fiancé is adopting a zen like attitude in preparation for our trip. I fully intend to show the midwestern bumpkins on our flight how a person with class travels.”

Blaine scrunched up his face in an effort to hold in his laughter. “You just don’t want to end up on the no fly list. Frankly, after last time, I’m amazed you’re not already on it.”

Kurt fixed Blaine with his coldest stare. “My behavior last time was perfectly reasonable, all things considered. And anyway, she started it. _Fashion is a frivolous waste of time,_  honestly, who even says that? And then to brag, legitimately brag, about buying all of her clothes at Walmart after I casually mentioned interning at Vogue. How could I have stayed silent?”

“You’re right,” Blaine deadpanned, “I don’t see why she wasn’t called up in front of the Hague, facing charges of crimes against humanity.”

Kurt smiled at that last remark. He couldn’t help himself.

“Okay, I maybe over-reacted a teensy bit.”

Blaine left his spot by the door to join Kurt in the kitchen. He leaned in close so that his nose was inches from Kurt’s. “Just a teensy bit?” And then, for dramatic effect, he waggled his eyebrows.

That final move broke Kurt. He laughed as he sort of toppled into Blaine and then shoved him playfully. “You’re terrible! You know that? You’re ruining my zen attitude.”

Blaine reached out, wrapped his arms around Kurt’s waist, pulled him in close, and then tilted his own head up ever so slightly so that they were staring into each other’s eyes. “Come on, you know you love me. And you especially love my eyebrows.” With that he threw in one extra waggle.

Kurt leaned in and quickly brushed his lips against Blaine’s. “I do love you. But try and keep the waggling down to a minimum. At least while we’re in public.”

Blaine leaned in and quickly kissed him back. “Roger that. Now, can we expedite our estimated time of departure? I don’t have time to change into my Nightbird getup and fly our stuff down five flights of stairs.”

With one last playful shove in Blaine’s direction, and one quick glance around their bathroom, Kurt was moving toward the door with Blaine. Together they distributed their mountain of luggage and managed to carry it all down the stairs in only one trip. Then they had just enough time to haul their stuff to the corner in time to meet their airport shuttle.

However, the shuttle was late. After waiting about 15 minutes, Blaine turned to Kurt and grinned. After a minute or so of Blaine just grinning at him, Kurt couldn’t keep silent. “What? You can’t possibly be cheerful while we’re out here freezing our butts off. And now it’s starting to snow. Great! This is just great.”

“Okay, Scrooge.” At this Blaine gave Kurt a playful bump with his shoulder. This was easy to accomplish as they were huddled together for warmth there on the sidewalk next to their mountain of luggage. “I’m just excited to be heading back to Ohio for the holidays. Aren’t you?”

“Yeah, I guess, things have just been so hectic lately. With school, work, wedding prep, shopping, and packing for this trip. I don’t think it’s really hit me yet that it’s almost Christmas.”

“Oooh! I know just the way to get you into the Christmas spirit!”

“I’m not in the mood for one of your King’s Island routines right now, Blaine.”

“Oh, I’m saving those for later. I promised Rachel. No, we haven’t sung a Christmas duet yet this year. We can’t have that now, can we? It’s tradition!”

“Blaine, we can’t just break out into song right this second. First, it’s freezing! Second, we’re in public. Third, we don’t have any music.”

“Come on, singing will keep us warm. And besides, we’re the only ones here out here this early. Where’s your Christmas spirit?”

Blaine quickly pulled out his phone, and after a moment of scrolling, he settled on the perfect song. As soon as he’d made his selection, pulled out his ear buds, and, after placing one earbud in his own ear and one in Kurt’s, the opening notes to [Winter Wonderland](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17731HiOiXg) (the Michael Bublé version, of course) began to fill their ears. As Kurt still appeared resolutely against this early morning, public performance, Blaine decided to kick things off.

 

 _Sleigh bells ring, are you listening?_  
_~_  
_Walking in a winter wonderland._

While he sang, Blaine kept trying to catch Kurt’s eye. As he finished the first verse, he succeeded. Kurt looked utterly resigned to being forced to go along with Blaine’s silliness as he began to sing.

_Gone away is the bluebird_

Blaine then joined in with the harmony.

_He sings a love song_

As the song continued, the two began to imagine themselves in a snowy field acting out some of the scenes from the song.

_In the meadow we can build a snowman_

They saw themselves, in gorgeously tailored and complimentary winter outfits, building a snowman. Kurt wanting to give it a fabulous brooch he’d fashioned out of a pinecone. Blaine insisting it wear the pine branch bowtie he’d made.

They saw themselves, standing hand in hand, in front of their creation. Reciting vows as light snow began to fall, and leaning in for a kiss just as mistletoe magically appeared over their heads.

_Walking in a winter wonderland._

Now they were back; standing on a dirty New York City sidewalk. Kurt had fully embraced the spirit of the duet, singing joyfully as he cuddled in close to Blaine. And as they sang the last line, with Blaine taking the high part and Kurt the low, he couldn’t help but think of how perfectly happy he was in this moment. With that thought, he began to look forward to Christmas. He knew that any holiday would be worthy of celebration, as long as he had Blaine by his side.

\------------------------------------------------------

The Lima Bean, Lima, Ohio

\------------------------------------------------------

 

Tina felt nervous as she waited by the counter for her coffee. She’d been in Lima for all of 4 hours, and here she was, waiting to meet Mike. Was she out of her mind? After the way their non-date had ended, why was she willing to put herself in such a potentially embarrassing situation again? As she thought this last thought, she heard the bell above the door ding. Looking up, she saw Mike enter the little coffee shop. Seeing him, all bundled up in a peacoat and an obviously “Kurt-approved” scarf, she was struck by just how adorable he looked. Her stomach did a little flip as she waved him over. _Embarrassment, here I come,_ she thought to herself.

“Hey, Tina!” Mike said as he leaned over to give her a side hug.

“Hey yourself. When did your flight get in?”

“Last night.” He said before turning to the barista to say, “I’d like a large peppermint mocha please.”

“Mine got in this morning. Does Lima seem smaller to you? Each time I come back, the town seems to have shrunk just a bit.”

“I noticed that too. I think that’s what happens when you’ve spent time away. I almost didn’t make it back for Thanksgiving this year. I had an offer to celebrate the holiday with a few of my dance friends, but then my mother heard about it and hit the roof. She started going on about how living in the city had changed me, and how I must not love her anymore if I’m not willing to come home. Needless to say, I came home.”

Tina laughed. “Your mother is one smart lady.”

Mike smiled in return, “She knows how to get what she wants. She may get on my nerves sometimes, but she’s one of the reasons I’m dancing right now, rather than stuck in some prestigious pre-med program, hating every minute of it.”

“One of the reasons?” Tine asked as they made their way to a free table.

“Yes, one. You know you had a major role to play. If you hadn’t gone to my dad like you did, I don’t think he ever would have come round to the idea of me dancing professionally. And if you hadn’t sent in my application, I’d never have attended the Joffrey after graduation.”

“I did do those things, didn’t I?” Tina lightly teased.

“I’ll never be able to thank you enough,” Mike said earnestly. “I’m living my dream in New York, and I have you to thank.”

“So,” Tina began cautiously, “about that dinner we had last week..”

“Yeah, about that.”

“I’m sorry about the-” they both said in unison.

“You go first,” said Mike.

“No, you,” said Tina.

“Okay, Tina, I’m sorry about the way our date ended.”

“Our date?”

“Okay, our non-date date. Tina, I’m sorry I didn’t kiss you that night. I wanted to, but right at the end, I chickened out. What I’m trying to say is that I still have feelings for you. I’m just not sure what to do with them. Okay, your turn.”

Tina smiled. “Funny, I was going to say the same thing. I wanted to kiss you too. And, yeah, I have feelings for you. But I’m at Brown, and you’re in New York. We both have these crazy schedules. If we were to date, what would that even look like?”

“Hmmm, what about this? We stay friends, but commit to having regular talking dates on, say, Monday nights? I don’t have rehearsals or shows on Mondays, do you have any Monday night classes next semester?”

“No, I think my last class ends at 4. Then I’ve got acapella practice, but that’s done by 7. So why don’t we say, 8 o’clock Mondays will be our official skype time.”

“Sounds like a plan.” Mike said, giving Tina an easy grin. “Put ‘er there pal.” He added, extending his hand for Tina to shake.

Tina took his hand in hers, “You got it, buddy.”

Their conversation then moved to safer topics, like the epic holiday party Rachel was throwing for all the Glee kids, and the hilarity that would surely ensue.

\------------------------------------

Rachel’s House, Lima, OH ~ 8 PM

\-------------------------------------

“Hello, everyone! Come in, come in! There are holiday snacks on the table, various beverages to the right, and if you’ve brought your gift for the game of White Elephant, then you’re more than welcome to leave it in the kitchen,” Rachel said as various guests filed into her house. Kurt and Blaine had arrived earlier to help her set up, and now all the Glee kids-- old and new-- were arriving for her holiday get together.

Jake, Kitty, Marley, Unique, and Ryder came in together, all smiles and Christmas cheer. Rachel hadn’t really taken the chance to get to know them in the past, but she was going to try. There were going to be so many opportunities for her to get to know them as a group and individually.

Quinn and Tina came in together, hugging Rachel and smiling. Rachel had heard about Quinn and Puck’s break up. Although it was sad, Quinn had assured her that they’d parted on mutual terms and that they were going to be fine.

Santana and Brittany came in with Mercedes, wearing matching Christmas sweaters. Mercedes had on a pair of classic Christmas tree earrings and an adorable Christmas light necklace. They were all decked out, and it was super cute.

“Rachel, these cookies are _amazing,_ ” Tina said with her mouth full.

“Thanks! They’re totally vegan, but I’m glad you like my recipe! I found it online,” Rachel smiled. It was so good to have everyone in the same room, together again. There was no time like the holidays for good friendship rekindling.

When the boys arrived, Rachel began to worry. They were late, as expected, but she wasn’t sure how the rest of the group was going to react to Puck and Quinn’s break up. Sam hugged her and Puck lifted her up off the ground. Boys would be boys.

“Let’s get this party started!”

 

\-----------------------------------

8:30 PM

\-----------------------------------

“Alright, everybody! It’s time for White Elephant! Grab your gifts and come back downstairs for some shenanigans,” Blaine said into the microphone, shaking his head a little bit. The game of White Elephant had been Kurt’s idea, and Rachel loved it. It was a silly little game that required everyone to bring a gift, open a gift, and steal a gift (if they so pleased). Blaine was sure it was going to be a mess, but there was no stopping the silliness that were the students and alumni of the Mckinley High Glee Club.

As everyone came back with their gifts, Kurt directed everyone to stack them in a pile, and then get into a circle. Once they were sitting, the party-goers picked a random number from a hat.

“Alright, is everyone ready?,” Rachel asked the group. There were several nods and affirmative hollers from the group. “Okay! Will the person with the number one come and pick their gift?”

Puck was first, and he reached into the center of the circle and grabbed the biggest gift he could find. He glanced to his left and his right, giving Kitty and Jake a silly grin before tearing off the paper on his… universal remote control?

“Wow! I’ve always...wanted one of these?”  Puck gave a questioning look to the group before everyone started laughing a little. Rachel was next, grabbing a gift instead of stealing Puck’s remote. She opened the small, daintily wrapped box to find a pair of clip-on plastic dress up earrings. She shook her head and laughed a little bit, clipping them on her ears and showing them off to everyone.

Kitty and Quinn followed in suit, opening their gifts, rather than stealing. Kitty picked a box of doll’s clothes (where the doll was, no one knew), and Quinn picked a small candy necklace. Everyone giggled and smiled fondly at the silly gift choices, knowing who brought which gift.

Jake was the first to break the trend. He decided to steal Rachel’s clip-on earrings, rather than picking a gift to unwrap himself.

“Hey! Now, what could you possibly want with a pair of clip-on earrings, boy?,” Rachel asked in a tone of mock hurt.

“What? Don’t they make my eyes just pop,” Jake asked holding the earrings up to his ears and fluttering his eyes.

“You’re silly. Alright. I guess I need a gift. I suppose I will… steal Quinn’s candy necklace! Muahaha,” Rachel said, snatching the gift away.

Quinn pouted and moved to take the earrings from Jake. The gift had only moved around twice, so the five pass rule hadn’t gone into effect yet. Jake gasped dramatically, making a face of mock offense. He smiled and decided to go with opening a square shaped box, opening it to find… a brightly colored bowtie!

“Well. I wonder who brought this one?” Jake asked sarcastically, looking over to Blaine, who was whistling.

“Me? Well, I.... I haven’t the slightest idea as to what you're talking about. Is that a bowtie? Ew. I _hate_ bowties.” Blaine said, turning his nose up in disgust. Everyone laughed at his spectacle, knowing good and well he had bought that bowtie for himself.

Following Jake was Sam and Mercedes. Sam decided to steal Jake’s bowtie, who stole back the clip-on earrings. Quinn was giftless, once again, and decided to open a new gift. It was a small little lava lamp, with sparkles and moving glitter. It was very pretty.

“I may just cry if any of you steal this from me. It’s far too pretty for it to get stolen. It would look quite nice in my dorm,” Quinn said, clutching the lamp tightly and giving everyone the evil eye.

The game could have gone on for hours, but thankfully, it didn’t. The game finally ended with Blaine being last, and deciding to (obviously) steal the bowtie from Mike.

No one even bothered to take it from him, just because it was Blaine. He’d already put it on before anyone had had the chance to steal it.

“I hope everyone had fun! You can thank Kurt for the idea. Now, go dance and sing. It was what you were meant to do,” Rachel said, dawning her new headband made of feathers (carefully crafted by Brittany, of course).

Kurt and Blaine stood together, and Blaine whispered in Kurt’s ear, “I am so totally wearing this bowtie at the reception of our wedding.”

“I beg pardon?! That is the ugliest bowtie I’ve ever seen you wear. You most certainly are _not_ wearing that at the reception!”

 

\-----------------------------------

9:30 PM

\-----------------------------------

“Sam! Christmas Karaoke’s about to start!” Mercedes called from across the living room.

Sam, who had been outside having a winter weather endurance contest with Artie, Blaine, and Puck, waved at his excited friend. “I think I’m going to sit these first few rounds out and warm up. Once I can feel my lips again I’ll be up for singing. Hey, do they have Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer? If so, I totally call dibs!”

Mercedes shook her head, smiling to herself, and walked over to the makeshift DJ booth Artie was working to set up.

Sam, meanwhile, made his way over to the kitchen to get some hot chocolate. He felt like that kid in the Campbell’s soup commercial. The one that started out as a snowman, but by the end of the commercial had melted into a real boy. He was frozen all the way through, but he was certain a few cups of hot chocolate would warm him up in no time. As he started on his third cup, his ears perked up as he heard the opening notes of one of Mercedes’s favorite [Christmas songs](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SjsQj1NSfdY). Sure enough, he turned and saw her take the mini stage and start to sing.

 

_Mary, did you know that your baby boy would one day walk on water?_

 

As Sam listened to Mercedes sing, he was struck by the thought he always had as he watched her perform, - she was truly amazing. Her voice was like none he’d ever heard before. But more than that, he was struck with how she seemed transformed as she sang. She seemed greater, more powerful somehow. She truly had a gift. Watching Mercedes perform was one of Sam’s absolute favorite things to do. He loved it even more than listening to Blaine read him Star Wars fanfiction.

 

 _Mary, did you know that your baby boy would give sight to a blind man?_   
  


Which is why it was so surprising that, as he listened to Mercedes sing, something in the far corner of the room caught his eye. He had to squint a bit before he could make out that it was Kitty sitting alone on a couch in the far corner of the room. The scene was odd because Kitty was never alone. If she wasn’t hanging out with a group of glee kids from her year, then she was off somewhere flirting with Artie. But sure enough, there she was sitting all by herself. Sam figured something must be wrong, so he went over to investigate.

“Hey,” Sam said, sitting down next to Kitty, “what are you doing over here by yourself? You should be getting in on that sweet karaoke action.” He overemphasized this last bit and threw in over the top hand gestures for comic effect, but she didn’t so much as smile.

“Kitty? Is everything okay?”

When Kitty finally looked up at him, there were tears in her eyes.

When he saw that she was crying, Sam went into full-on comfort mode. He scooted in closer to her and started patting her on the back. Just like he would do if one of his little siblings was upset.

“Whoa, there, everything’s okay. What’s up? Why are you crying?”

“It’s this stupid song,” Kitty finally admitted.

“What are you talking about? This song’s awesome! Jesus is the reason for the season and all that.”

“You’re an idiot,” Kitty stated. “And it’s not the song itself, the song’s fine. It’s just...I used to sing this song a lot when I was younger. It’s, well, it’s hard to hear it now.”

“Why now? Why’d you stop singing it?” Sam asked.

Kitty took a deep breath. She really didn’t want to talk about this at all, especially not with Sam. Sam was a nice guy, but he could be a bit dense at the best of times. So to have this conversation she was going to have to spell everything out for him, and she just wasn’t sure she was up for that. But he was genuinely being nice, Kitty knew that, so she decided to try talking with him.

“Back when we were in Glee club together, do you remember Ryder and I talking about being molested?”

At first, Sam couldn’t voice a response. Of all the things he’d been expecting her to say, it wasn’t that. “Uh, yeah, I mean yes, I remember that.”

“Well, it happened when I was 11. And after I was so mad. I blamed myself, I blamed my friend, my friend’s parents, my parents, and even God. I blamed anyone who I thought had allowed that guy to hurt me. It’s funny, the one person I didn’t blame was my friend’s older brother, the guy who actually had hurt me. It’s taken me a long time to get to a place where I actually blame him, and only him for what happened.”

At this Kitty paused to glance over at Sam, checking in to see of all of this was too much for him. But he looked okay. He was listening attentively to everything she was sharing with him. So she continued.

“Before I got to where I am now, I went through a long phase of blaming myself. I thought that I had done something, that I’d sinned in some way, and that the assault was my punishment.”

“Kitty, that’s crazy!” Sam interrupted.

“I said that’s what I thought, as in a while ago. I don’t think that now. But I’m trying to explain my thought process back then. Please, don’t interrupt me again. This isn’t exactly easy to talk about.”

“Sorry.”

“Whatever. So while I was blaming myself, I kind of doubled down on religion. I’d always gone to church on Sundays, and I was a star at our local Vacation Bible School. I memorized more verses than anyone. I’ve got the ribbons to prove it. My over-competitiveness aside, my church life was a healthy one. After the assault, I began to focus exclusively on the aspects of church that have to do with sin and judgement. I made friends with the most judgemental kids in youth group that I could find. I became kind of obsessed with finding verses all about sin, sexual sin in particular. The more I read, the more I started to hate myself. So I turned that hatred outward. I started saying nasty, judgemental to everyone at school. Soon all of the girls in my grade were afraid of me. Their fear made me popular, but it also isolated me.”

Here Kitty paused again to take a sip of the drink she’d been cradling in her cupped hands.

“So when I got to high school, things got worse. I joined Cheerios and that gave me a license to be ruthless and cruel towards anyone, guy or girl, who wasn’t on the squad. I would pick out someone  I perceived as weak or unworthy, I’d find something they were ashamed of, and I’d use it, whatever it was, against them. That’s what I did with Marley. I knew she wanted to be popular and that she was terrified of getting as fat as her mom. So I used that. God, after a month of messing with her, she’d developed an eating disorder. I did that. Me. At the time, it felt good. Messing with people made me feel powerful. But when that high wore off, I just felt like crap. I felt even more lowly, sinful, and unlovable than ever. Then, when I lost my virginity, that was like the nail on the coffin. I put up a front, like sex didn’t matter. But in my mind I was basically booking myself a one way trip to Hell. So that’s where I was that first year in Glee club. I was a self-loathing, self-righteous bitch.”

“So, what happened between then and now?” Sam asked carefully.

“I started seeing a therapist. I told my parents what had happened. Over the past few years I’ve really been working on getting to a place where I don’t hate myself. It’s not easy. I’ve done some terrible things. The hardest part, though, hasn’t even been forgiving myself. It’s imagining that there’s a God up there who could ever forgive me. That’s why I hate that song. It reminds me of a time when I knew that God loved me. I miss the girl that I was back then, and I wish I could get her back.”

At that point, Kitty stopped speaking, a few new tears rolled down her cheeks.

“Kitty, I can’t believe you think that God hates you. I mean, yeah, you’ve done some pretty awful things in the past, but that doesn’t matter. Everyone messes up. But you’ve gotta know that God’s all about forgiveness. Besides, all the judgemental stuff is a load of crap anyhow.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, what you were saying about feeling guilty about having sex. I’ve had sex, and I don’t feel guilty about it. Hell, I used to be a stripper! And, I don’t feel guilty about that. I did what I needed to do to support my family. And, honestly, I think that God’s got bigger things to worry about than who’s having sex with who. I think all He cares about is love. If we’re loving each other and loving Him, then we’re all good.”

Kitty shot a sideways grin in Sam’s direction. “It’s just that simple, huh?”

“Yep.”

“I wish I could believe that.”

“Why don’t you try? Make it like a New Year’s Resolution or something. I, Kitty Wilde, do solemnly swear to stop feeling guilty about loving others or things that were not my fault. Come on, now you’ve got to say it.”

“Sam, this is ridiculous.”

“Say it!”

“Ugh, fine! I, Kitty Wilde, do solemnly swear to stop feeling guilty about loving others or things that were not my fault.”

“The force is strong with this one,” Sam said in his best impression of Darth Vader.

“You’re such a dork!”

Sam simply smiled.

“Anyhow, thanks. Talking helps, and I guess I needed to talk to someone tonight.”

“The honor is mine, young padawan,” Sam said, this time adopting the voice of Obi Wan Kenobi.

“Ug! I’m going to find Artie.”

With that she stood up and walked off, but she did turn back to give Sam a small smile.

 

\-----------------------------------

9:45 PM

\-----------------------------------

After Kitty left, Sam made his way towards the stage where he saw Mercedes sitting sandwiched between Rachel and Kurt. Those two seemed to be in the middle of a fierce debate over who would get to sing which verse of My Grown Up Christmas List. Mercedes, for her part, seemed to be sitting back and enjoying the show. Sam noted, with pleasure, that her face seemed to light up when she saw him approaching their little group.

“There you are, Sam. You’re missing all the fun. Have you been guzzling hot chocolate this whole time?”

“Not exactly. I was wondering if we could go outside and talk for a bit. There’s a heater set up on the deck out back, and all of the winter endurance guys have moved back inside, so it’ll be quiet.”

“Sure, it’ll be awhile before these two settle on who’s singing which verse. Of course, then they’ll be fighting about which key to sing it in. So we probably have at least an hour before they actually get up and sing anything.” As she followed Sam upstairs and out onto the deck, Mercedes shook her head slightly and chuckled to herself. These people were her best friends, and they were all completely nuts.

After situating herself comfortably next to the outdoor heater, she turned to face Sam. “Are you having a good time?”

“Yeah, are you?”

“Yeah, Christmas is my favorite time of year.”

Sam struggled to think of what to say next. He’d had this whole conversation planned out in his head, but now he couldn’t quite think of how to start.

After a few moments of awkward silence, Mercedes said, “Sam, is there something you wanted to talk about?”

“I was talking with Kitty earlier.” Sam surprised himself with that revelation. That wasn’t what he meant to say at all.

“Oh yeah, what’d you guys talk about?”

“Sex.” At this point, Sam wanted just shove his fist in his mouth to keep himself from saying stupid things. This conversation was not going at all the way he wanted it to.

“Well, that’s, uh, festive. How is Kitty’s sex life these days?”

Sam looked up, shocked at the boldness of her question. It took him a second to realize that she was kidding.

“Very funny,” Sam said.

“I thought so,” Mercedes sassed back.

“It wasn’t anything like inappropriate. Kitty was upset about some uh stuff, and I wanted to help cheer her up.”

“With a sex talk?”

“No!”

“Okay, I’m sorry, honey, I won’t tease you anymore. It sounds like you were being a good friend.”

“Thanks, I mean I was trying to be. I hope I helped her feel better. No one should be sad at Christmas.”

“I agree. Now, what is it you wanted to talk about? I know you didn’t bring me out here in like 10 degree weather to talk about Kitty.”

“I didn’t. Um, Mercedes, what do you love best about Christmas?”

Now that was a turn. Sam was certainly keeping her on her toes tonight.

“That’s tough. I mean I love the Christmas Eve service at church. The carols, the candles, the decorations, and the nativity play. It’s the same every year, but I still tear up when Mary gives her speech at the end. Did I ever tell you I played Mary back in middle school?”

“Yeah, your mom showed me the pictures. You towered over that kid playing Joseph.”

“Haha, I’d forgotten about that. Well, he’s 6’4’’ now, so I guess he showed me. But yeah, besides my church’s Christmas Eve service, I love spending time with family. My aunts and uncles usually drive to Lima. I get to see cousins I haven’t seen all year. We spend Christmas day opening presents, cooking, eating, playing football in the backyard, and singing carols. So I guess, when I think of Christmas, I think about church and family. What about you?”

“I think about my family too. We’ve moved around over the years so we didn’t always get to see my grandparents at Christmas, let alone aunts and uncles. And we’d mostly go to church on Christmas Eve, but it was rarely the same one. I think I’ve been to four different churches since we first moved to Lima. Two have been here, and two have been in Kentucky, but still.”

“I can’t imagine that. I’ve been going to the same once since I was born. Technically, since before that. I’ve seen pictures of my very pregnant mom singing with our choir.”

“What about in the future?” asks Sam, hoping to steer the conversation towards their relationship.

“What do you mean?”

“Where do you see yourself, say, five Christmases from now?”

“Gosh, I don’t know. I guess I’d be 25. I hope I’d still be making music. I’d come home for Christmas, and my family would be so proud of me.”

“Do you see yourself coming home alone?”

“Sam,” Mercedes said, a touch of warning tone in her voice.

“What? It’s a fair question.”

“I don’t know what you want me to say.”

“Fine, I’ll tell you what I see. Five years from now, I see us both coming back to Lima, together. I love you Mercedes. These past months a part have been the hardest of my life. I cherish our friendship but I want more. I know you think it’s wrong to ask me to abstain from sex while we’re dating. But why won’t you let me prove to you that I can be that guy? That guy who loves you and respects you enough to wait as long as you need me to? Just please, let me be that guy.”

Mercedes honestly didn’t know what to say. So, at first, she didn’t say anything. She thought about all of the conversations she’d had with Sam over the past months. She thought about how no one else could make her laugh like he could. No one else could be a more loyal or faithful friend. And she thought about the conversation she’d had with her mother and grandmother before Thanksgiving. She knew that she loved him. She loved him enough to give him a chance.

“Okay.”

“Okay?”

“Okay, I’m going to give you that chance. I love you too, Sam. I can’t say that I’m not scared about this. We can’t know the future. But I can’t let my fear of an unknown future get in the way of my happiness in the here and now.”

“Whoohoo!” Sam shouted. Then, he picked Mercedes up and spun her around.

“Boy! What are you doing? Put me down!” Mercedes cried. But she didn’t sound mad, not really.

“I love you, Mercedes Jones, and I will do my best everyday to prove my love to you.”

“I love you too, Sam Evans, and you’re right. Impossible to see, the future is.”

“That’s from Star Wars!”

“Lord help me, so it is.”

With that, Sam leaned in to plant a tender kiss on Mercedes’s lips. The kiss was a promise. A promise of a beautiful future spent together.

 

\-----------------------------

10 PM

\-----------------------------

“I think we all know who is going to be singing, next! Artie, get up here,” Mercedes said, beckoning Artie to the stage.

“Yaaasss! You guys know what song I’ll be singing, don’t you? It’s a classic. Hit it, person who’s in charge of the boom [box](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6zW225k_O0&feature=youtu.be&t=10s)!”

 _Frosty the snowman was a jolly happy soul_  
_With a corncob pipe and a button nose  
_ _and two eyes made out of coal_

Artie sang with sass, grooving along to the jazzy tones of the song. He remembered this song from when he was a kid, and he’d always loved the movie. It was really just a silly little song about a snowman that came to life, really.

 _There must have been some magic in that_  
_old silk hat they found_  
_For when they placed it on his head  
_ _he began to dance around_

As Artie sang, he could see his friends laughing and singing along with him. He was having fun, and that’s all there was to it.

 _Let's run and_  
_we'll have some fun  
_ _now before I melt away_

The song was so nostalgic for him and Artie continued to remember his childhood. Running around in the snow was his favorite thing to do. He had adored making snowmen and snow angels. Winter had been his favorite time of year. It still was, Sure, he couldn’t play around in it as much, but there was still that thrill of being in the snow, just looking at the pure white glisten of it all.

 _Look at Frosty go._  
_~  
_ _Over the hills of snow_

  
Artie and the others sang the last few verses together, and Artie hoped the song was just as nostalgic for them as it was for him. He loved Frosty and the old movies from when he was a kid. There were so many good memories that came with Christmas, and he wasn’t about to forget a single one.

 

\-----------------------------------------------

Midnight, Rachel’s House, Lima, OH

\-----------------------------------------------

Rachel walked outside to get some fresh air, sighing deeply. Not very many years ago, Finn had presented her with her very own star. And he’d named after himself, to remind her of her very own angel looking down on her from above.

There was no telling how true that was now.

In a lot of ways, Finn was her guardian angel. She knew he was out there, looking after her, only wishing good things for her.

For a time, she’d forgotten the star. Her sadness of his death encompassed her wholly, and there was no middle ground. But Kurt and Carole and Puck and Burt had helped her move on, and there was always beautiful company to be had with them, and their memories of Finn.

It was Christmas that she often remembered him and how wonderful he was to anyone that ever came across his path.

Rachel glanced up at the clear Ohio sky and imagined Finn was there with her, and she began to [sing](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7GepflO6PQ).

_Stockings are hung with care_

Finn was smiling brightly, as he always had, that twinkle of pride in his eyes. There was no doubting how proud he was of Rachel and all she’d accomplished. Rachel reminded herself of that every day.

 _Each year I ask for many different things_   
_But now I know what my heart wants you to bring_

Rachel’s eyes began to water, but she wouldn’t let the tears fall. She was ready for her actions to become something, if not for herself, then for Finn.

 _So please just fall in love with me this Christmas_   
_There's nothing else that you will need this Christmas_

Rachel smiled as she sang, looking at her star, her angel, her Finn. She was so grateful to have been in his life, to have known this amazing person. She loved him with all she was, and, even now, two years later, she still did.

_So kiss me on this cold December night_

There was no denying how sad she felt when she thought of Finn. But there was also happiness. So, so much happiness. And joy. And memories of all the good things she had with him. What the Glee Club had with him.

 _They call it the season of giving_   
_I'm here, I'm yours_

“I miss him, too,” Kurt said, wrapping his arms around Rachel.

“He didn’t deserve this. No one does. But I think… I think he’s okay. Wherever he is. I know he’s smiling down at us, and he’s really proud,” Rachel says, wiping her eyes.

“Come on. Let’s go back inside. I’m sure he wouldn’t want us to freeze,” Kurt said, squeezing Rachel’s shoulders, grabbing her hand and walking back towards the house.

 

\-------------------------------------

1 AM

\--------------------------------------

As the night began to draw to a close, Sam thought of the many people he was joined with on this lovely winter evening. Kitty and Ryder had been through so much, and Unique had overcome all the prejudice and hate. Rachel, Kurt, Puck, and all of the old glee club members managed to stick together through Finn’s death, and everyone was moving to high places in the world. Sam was happy that he knew them. They were an extension of his real family.

“Alright, everyone. I want to see everyone up here, together! We’ve all got to sing together at least once. Come on, up,” Sam called, waving all of his friends up onto the makeshift stage. Some groaned playfully, others jumped up on stage [gleefully](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXOhLfWezwA).

 

 _The fireplace is burning bright, shining all on me  
_ _I see the presents underneath the good old Christmas tree_

Sam sang with grace, making sure his friends knew how much he really did love them. Christmas was the perfect time to make sure everyone knew that.

 _The only gift I'll ever need is the joy of family  
_ _Oh, why? 'Cause that's Christmas to me_

Kitty and Unique harmonized together, joining Sam in his song.There were so many emotions flowing from Kitty’s voice, Unique could tell. She wasn’t sure what Kitty and Sam had talked about earlier, but it looked like it had helped Kitty significantly.

 _I've got this Christmas song in my heart (song in my heart)  
_ _I've got the candles glowing in the dark_

When Rachel, Kurt, and Blaine came in, there was no denying how sad Rachel was. Kurt and Blaine were on either side of her, holding her tight. Kurt knew his brother was there, making her feel safe and warm, but he couldn’t push away the thin layer of sadness that he felt, remembering Finn. His brother was safe and warm, himself, just not with his family on Christmas.

 _Oh, the joy that fills our hearts and makes us see  
_ _Oh, why? 'Cause that's Christmas to me_

Blaine looked at his fiancée with nothing but love. He’d been through so much, but he was still so successful and happy. Rachel, too. Their little family had come a long way since that first Glee Club meeting, and Blaine couldn’t be happier.

 _That's the love that Christmas can bring  
_ _Oh, why? 'Cause that's Christmas to me._

As the group harmonized the last few notes of the song, Sam felt something in the pit of his stomach. Bliss.

This is what it meant to be together, as a family.

“Merry Christmas, everyone! Merry Christmas!”

 

\--------------------------------------  
\--------------------------------------

Since it's not Christmas but the 8th of March, we wish a happy International Women's Day to all the ladies. <3

  
  
  
  


Tune in next week for our new episode called I Did It My Way !

[ Mind helping us out by spreading the word on tumblr? ](http://gleeseasonfix.tumblr.com/post/113105359516/click-here-to-read-episode-10-written-by)  
[ Here you can find the episode stills. ](http://gleeseasonfix.tumblr.com/post/112996457666/stills-episode-10-its-a-wonderful-glee)

SONG LIST:

Kurt and Blaine: Winter Wonderland by Michael Buble

Mercedes: Mary, Did You Know? by Mark Lowry and Buddy Greene

Rachel: Cold December Night by Michael Bublé

Artie: Frosty the Snowman by Walter Rollins and Steve Nelson

Everyone: That’s Christmas to Me by Pentatonix  
  
 


	11. I Did It My Way

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Brittany’s revamped version of Fondue For Two may be going somewhere...different, and Santana has mixed feelings about it. Quinn and Sam each receive exciting news, while Mercedes gets just the opposite. Puck and Rachel both take chances on something they’ve never done before. Artie faces a new hitch with his documentary, and Mercedes has a face-off with her agent. Mike runs into someone he did not expect, Blaine runs into feelings he’s felt before, and Kurt runs into a door. Literally.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written by [ gingerfic ](http://archiveofourown.org/users/gingerfic/pseuds/gingerfic)  
> Assistant writer: [ becausehiships ](http://archiveofourown.org/users/becausehiships/works)  
> Beta by [ HKvoyage ](http://hkvoyage.tumblr.com) and [ alwaysfallingforanidea ](http://alwaysfallingforanidea.tumblr.com/)
> 
> Disclaimer: This is a work of fanfiction. All the characters and backstories belong to Glee and its creators.  
> Glee Season Fix (“GSF”) was written independently of spoilers about Glee Season 6. If songs or plots overlap, it’s due to coincidence or nature of the storylines that need resolution. If references pop up, we excuse ourselves for not being able to hold back.
> 
> Like on the show, GSF also includes songs and performances. There are links to full versions of each song, as well as a few pieces of lyrics quoted in the scene. We hope you will enjoy listening as well as reading, but be aware that the written version is shortened, whereas the audio versions are the full songs.

_Here’s what you missed on Glee Season Fix..._

_Brittany has decided to resume her vlog “Fondue For Two,” and she has high hopes for it, but Santana has some misgivings. Lord Tubbington thought it was a great idea though. He’s always supported the show._

_Kurt and Blaine are planning their wedding, attending NYADA, and holding down jobs. It makes it hard to see each other very much but they are trying. Well, at least one of them is trying. The other one has been working a lot… And Rachel is a third wheel, like, all the time._

_Quinn is in her third year at Yale now and seems to have finally figured out what she wants to do with her life. Oh good, we’ve been waiting for that. She broke up with Puck recently and she seems to feel totally fine about that. Nobody is sure how Puck feels about it though, maybe not even Puck himself._

_Mercedes is starting to work on her third album, but several of her recent projects have not gone as expected, like when her holiday concert didn’t get televised like it was supposed to. She’s got some things to figure out before she can move forward again._

_Sam’s comic has been getting some attention, and he has an opportunity to do something exciting with it, if he dares. Mike has been at dance school for three years now, so maybe it’s time he start thinking about getting a dancing job, don’t you think? And Artie JUST got his documentary all figured out (again!) but nothing is ever as simple as it seems._

 

January 2015

\-----------------------------------

Los Angeles

\-----------------------------------

_Fondue For Two! Fondue For Two! That’s some hot dish! Fondue For Two!_

The camera panned over to Brittany’s face, the zoom lens adjusting in and out for a moment before coming into focus.

“Hello everyone, and welcome to another episode of Fondue For Two, broadcasting from sunny Los Angeles!” Brittany’s smile filled the screen.

“Today I am thrilled to be hosting a repeat guest, Mercedes Jones!” She gestured to her side as the camera zoomed out, showing the two girls sitting side by side on the couch.

Mercedes waved at the camera with a wry grin. “Hi guys.” _Why am I doing this again?_ she thought to herself. _I did it just last month and she grilled me about Sam… on the other hand, I did get back together with him right after that… and Brittany is my friend and she asked me to._

“So!” Brittany pulled the focus back to herself, “Loyal viewers may remember that in our last interview I asked Mercedes about her love life, and I believe there have been some developments in that area…” She looked pointedly at Mercedes.

Mercedes looked down at her lap and brought a hand to her face as though it could hide the obvious blush that rose there. “You know there have, Brittany.”

“Sooo, tell us!” Brittany encouraged.

Mercedes didn’t particularly want to spill her entire private life across the internet--even if not very many people were likely to see it--so she went for vague. “Well, over Christmas I got back together with someone I’ve loved for a long time. We had broken up before because the timing wasn’t right, but now I think it is.”

Brittany let out a squee and clapped her hands. “True love is the _best_ thing _ever_!” she declared.

Mercedes nodded, trying--and utterly failing--to keep her modest smile from becoming a full-blown grin. “Yeah, it is. But we’re not here to talk about who I’m dating, you said we were going to talk about my music this time, remember?”

“Right!” Brittany accepted the redirection easily. “So, you recently completed a tour promoting your second album…”

“Yes.”

“And you did a holiday concert which included a new original song.”

“I have done a lot of covers over the years,” Mercedes offered. “And original songs written by professional writers of course. But there is something really exciting for me about being part of the writing process and creating a song from scratch.”

Brittany beamed. “Mercedes, you are so very talented--”

“Why, thank you!” Even from a friend, those compliments were validating.

“So would you please tell us, why do you continue to work with Nathan Cole as your agent?”

“What?” Mercedes was caught off guard. She should have known to expect something like this from Brittany--Brittany _always_ came up with some kind of non-sequitur, and of course this was all being filmed. “Um, he’s a very experienced agent, my producer set me up with him over a year ago and he has a lot of connections that are helping me get my career going. For example he got me that holiday concert at Thanksgiving…”

“Yes, let’s talk about the holiday concert!” Brittany interrupted. “The one where Mr. Cole promised you that a local television station would be broadcasting your concert, but then at the last minute he backed out of it.”

“Well, it wasn’t his fault that they…”

“Of course it was his fault. He had never asked them in the first place. He just _told_ you that he did, so that you would do the concert!” Brittany announced triumphantly.

“Wait, how do you know that?” Mercedes asked suspiciously.

“Lord Tubbington told me.”

Mercedes rolled her eyes. “No, really Brittany, this is a serious accusation.”

“I know!” Brittany agreed, scooping up her massive cat as he wandered past and holding out a treat for him. "Which is why I verified it with his secretary, and with your PR manager.” Brittany eyed the camera conspiratorially. “I’m dating her PR manager,” she whispered with a wink.

Mercedes stared at her, dumbfounded. Lord Tubbington licked his paw and looked around for more treats.

“In addition to lying to you about the holiday concert, he also has strung you along about being able to have a final say on the track list for your next album,” Brittany continued. “He knows you want to write more tracks for this one, but he has a favorite songwriting team and he wants you to sing their stuff instead of your own.”

“Um…” Mercedes hedged.

“Tell me, Mercedes Jones, why do you still work with this guy??”

Lord Tubbington leapt into Mercedes’ lap, and she absent-mindedly ran her hand along his back and tail, trying to process all the things Brittany was saying.

“Why are you still working with him?” she asked again.

“I don’t know,” Mercedes breathed softly.

\-----------------------------------

Quinn’s apartment, Yale

\-----------------------------------

As she walked up the stairs to her room, Quinn sorted through the small stack of envelopes she had pulled from her mailbox. Sure enough, as she had been anticipating, her official report card from last semester was there. She had been able to look up some of her grades online earlier, but one professor was apparently a little tech-clueless, because that grade had never showed up online. She slid her finger under the flap of the envelope and ripped it across, holding her breath as she pulled the card out.

Yes! She had done it again: another semester with a perfect 4.0 grade point average. She had felt pretty confident about it, knowing that she had done her best and submitted good work to every professor, but there was always that tiny niggling doubt that haunted her. She never quite fully trusted it until she had the paper in her hands showing the facts in black and white.

This last semester had been especially enlightening for her as she had taken the women's studies class and realized that there was so much a person could _do_ in that area. And a person in the legal field? Yes, there were so many exciting options out there for her. She smiled as a familiar [song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dS1ZW0FdoIU) came to mind.

 _Miss independent_   
_Miss self-sufficient_

Quinn stood by what she’d told Puck those weeks ago. She had no regrets about being with him. But she also had no qualms about moving on from him.Their relationship--his acceptance of her at face value--had helped her feel better about herself in so many ways. But now that she’d learned to love herself, she was ready to strike out on her own. She didn’t need anyone else to love her that way right now. Someday, certainly, but not right now.

 _So, by changing her misconceptions_   
_She fell in love._

Quinn was cut off by her phone ringing. She glanced at the caller ID before answering.

“Hi Rachel, how are you?” she asked brightly. Today was a good day and she couldn’t help being cheery.

“Everything is horrible,” Rachel moaned back. “I keep going to auditions but no one will hire me. I am effectively blacklisted by anyone who is anyone here.” She sniffed loudly. “I don’t even know if it’s worth trying anymore,” she added dramatically.

“I’m sure it’s not as bad as all that,” Quinn suggested hopefully. “There’s got to be someone who isn’t jaded, just because you have had some bumps in the road before. God knows I’ve had a few, and I’m doing well now.”

“Getting a bad tattoo in high school isn’t quite the same as walking out on a broadway producer, Quinn.” Rachel’s voice carried a note of superiority that irked Quinn, even though she knew that it was Rachel’s attempt to hold herself together, rather than a real sauciness.

“I don’t think it matters what the stumbling block was, I think the point is that after you’ve fallen, you get up and try again,” Quinn countered, not willing to let Rachel’s personal pity-party ruin her day.

“But I have been trying again,” Rachel whined.

“Maybe you need to try something different?” Quinn suggested. “You know, when I first came here, I had some ideas about what I wanted to do, and who I wanted to be. You remember where I was a year and a half ago: I was dating Biff, of all people. He was about as fake and judgmental as they come, but I was seriously contemplating following my mother’s footsteps and becoming the perfect trophy wife in a monied New England family.” She shook her head at the memory, as if in disbelief at her own actions back then. “If he’d proposed I probably would have dropped out of school.”

“No!” Rachel gasped, “you’re at Yale! People don’t drop out of Yale!”

“I know,” Quinn agreed, “But I had this idea about who I was supposed to be, and I had a hard time shifting tracks.” She paused for a moment. “Actually Puck helped me a lot with that,” she added softly, “because he just accepted me as I was, and always told me that he believed in me, and that I could do and be whatever I wanted to do and be.”

“Puck’s a good guy.”

“Yeah, he is,” Quinn agreed. “But that’s not what I’m trying to say here.” She paused for a moment to organize her thoughts, and then tried again.

“Rachel, you need to learn how to accept yourself as you are, right now. You need to be able to believe in yourself and your ability to do whatever you set your mind to.”

“I don’t know if I--”

“That’s exactly the problem,” Quinn continued gently. “You are stuck seeing yourself as you were a year ago--a leading lady on broadway--and that is just not where you are right now. You need to be ok with yourself right now.”

“I…” Rachel wasn’t sure what to say.

“What do you have right now?” Quinn prompted her.

“Um, a good voice? A lot of singing experience?”

“Exactly! So start with that. Broadway isn’t the only place where you can sing, or the only place where you can perform for an audience. Try taking a step back, be ok with something other than Broadway for a while. Give yourself a chance to add to your resumé and maybe earn a few fans by performing in other places.”

“Like where?” Rachel wasn’t entirely following Quinn’s train of thought yet.

“Like maybe a lounge or something?” Quinn suggested. “Maybe you can book a gig with some place that has an open mic or something, and let some people hear you.”

“Hmmmmmm,” Rachel mused. “I guess I could…”

“It’s somewhere to start,” Quinn encouraged. “And just you wait. You’ll go somewhere amazing from there I bet.”

“Have you?” Rachel asked. "Gone somewhere amazing, I mean?" Quinn was caught off guard. Rachel usually kept conversations pretty focused on herself.

“Actually, I just got my report card, and I managed to maintain my perfect GPA this last semester.”

“Oh, that is fantastic, Quinn!” Rachel sounded genuine.

“I’m really proud of myself,” Quinn acknowledged.

“So, law, huh?”

“Yep,” Quinn responded proudly. “It’s a far cry from being a trophy wife, isn’t it.”

“Yeah, I guess!” Rachel agreed. “I’m so glad you didn’t stay with that Biff guy, or the one before him…”

“The professor?” Quinn chuckled at the memory. Oh, she had been a different person then. “Yeah, I’ve had some ups and downs, I guess, but I’ve learned what makes me happy, and following that is so much more fulfilling.” She smiled to herself before adding. “And it will for you too, Rachel. Follow your heart, even if it’s not the path you expected, your heart won’t lead you astray.”

“Thanks for the pep talk Quinn. I’m going to try the nightclub thing.”

“Good!” Quinn cheered, “and call me when you get your first gig. I’ll be waiting!”

\-----------------------------------

Professor Finch’s office, Brooklyn Film Academy, New York City

\-----------------------------------

“Arthur, this is bizarre,” Professor Finch announced, pausing to stare at a page of Artie’s screenplay that he was supposed to be giving a final approval.

“Excuse me?”

“You’re making a documentary on the history of dance,” Finch elaborated, “but you want to include a sequence of people in wheelchairs. No offense, but that really doesn’t fit.”

“I--”

“Furthermore it will make audiences uncomfortable,” Finch declared with finality. “You can’t put a thing like that into a film like this. This is film school, not social activism central. You should be focusing on your craft--filmmaking--not on trying to make cultural statements.”

“Professor Finch, I--”

“I know I told you to break outside of the box,” he added more gently, “but I didn’t know you would take it quite so literally.” He shook his head. “You can’t do this scene.”

Artie sat there, dumbstruck. “It’s important to me,” he muttered softly.

“What?” Finch’s voice was never soft.

Artie cleared his throat and looked his professor in the eye. “I said that scene is important to me, professor.”

Finch shrugged. “The things we create are always special to us,” he agreed, “but the reason we have editors is to help us trim out the extra bits so that the final production will be something that the public will spend their money for. I have no doubt that this feels personal and important to you, but--speaking as a professional and as your professor--I’m telling you that you should leave it out.” He handed the screenplay back to Artie, then opened the door and held it for him.

“You’re a smart guy, Arthur. You’ll figure it out.”

Artie nodded, but did not reply as he slipped down the hall and out of the building.

Yes, he was a smart guy. He knew that. But he also knew that this was more than just getting a grade. This was his graduation project. This could potentially launch (or ruin) his career for years to come. It had to show who he was as a filmmaker. This project mattered for the big picture. And this scene mattered for the project to be what Artie wanted it to be.

He definitely needed to talk to someone about it.

\-----------------------------------

New York City

\-----------------------------------

Kurt skipped every other step as he rushed up the subway steps. He was running way behind schedule, and thus stressed because of it. He couldn’t lose this job, not if he was supposed to fund a wedding and a honeymoon and all the upcoming changes of his life with Blaine. He was running down the street at full speed; he turned the corner too fast and found himself nearly sideways and skidding to a stop so he could rush upstairs to grab his uniform. He slammed against the door too hard and hit his face against the glass.

“Owww. Okay. Slow down, Hummel.” He said to himself.  

He headed toward the apartment, rubbing his nose and grimacing because he was so stupid.  

With the key in the door, Blaine pulled it open from the other side.  

“Mister Hummel. Fancy meeting you here.”

“Hey.” Kurt pecked Blaine’s cheek as a hello. “How was your day?”

Blaine shrugged. “Better now.” He stepped back to let Kurt in all the way. “I thought we could go out tonight?”

Blaine looked like a little puppy, all hopeful eyes and heartbreaking pout. Kurt couldn’t help but giggle.  

“Aww. I assume you haven’t checked your phone.” Kurt knew he was in a rush three seconds ago. Something about Blaine immediately calmed him down. Home.

“Oh no. Did you pick up a shift?”

Kurt mimicked Blaine’s adorable pout and nodded. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know you were planning anything. I would have-”

“No. Don’t be silly. Go.”

“Are you sure? I mean, I’m already late… We could…” Kurt wiggled his eyebrows and smiled.

“No. It’s fine. I have homework, anyway.”

“Okay. If you’re sure.”

“Kurt, seriously. I know we need the money. The bookstore doesn't offer extra shifts.” He sighed. “We have the rest of our lives, right?”

“Ye-yeah.” Kurt grinned and snapped out of his Blaine-shaped trance. He was late and he had to go. Now. Back into rush-mode, he flew into their bedroom and focused on finding his uniform and changing in record time. He fixed his hair that had flattened in the only spot it ever did, and exhaled at himself in the mirror.  

Blaine knocked on the door frame, but looked down to his feet immediately after catching Kurt’s eye in the mirror. “Hi.”

“I have to go. Are you okay?”

“Could you try to get cut early?”

“You’re not okay. And I completely blew you off because of some stupid little job.” Kurt ran his hand through his hair and looked at Blaine. “I’m sorry. Let me call in and tell them I can’t come…”

“No, Kurt. Go! I’m fine. I guess… I guess I just miss you.”

“Oh, Blaine. I’m right here.”

“I know you’re here right now, but you’re leaving again in a minute. It feels like you’re always working or doing homework or busy with god knows what, and I get lonely.”

“I’m doing all of this for us, Blaine. So we have money and stability. So you have an educated husband.” Kurt tilted his head. That wasn’t enough.

“I don’t care if we’re sharing a box on the corner, Kurt! Who cares? I just want you.”

“Even boxes cost a billion dollars in New York, Blaine.”

Blaine grunted. He was having a hard time explaining himself. “I thought that when we moved back in together it would mean that I would finally see more of you. But some days I feel like we’re practically back in a long distance relationship.”

“I’m sorry? Don’t you care about our future? I’m working my butt off trying to plan for the rest of our lives, and all you can think about is that it’s hard in this moment?” Kurt felt his blood boiling; he couldn’t help it sometimes.

“Go to work, Kurt. You said you’d take the shift; you need to follow through on that.” He sighed.

“I’ll get out as soon as I can.” Kurt flung his messenger bag over his shoulder and kissed Blaine long and hard, walking toward the door as soon as he broke it. “I love you, Blaine.”

Blaine mumbled something that had a resemblance to “love you too.”  

It was like [the piano was calling him](http://youtu.be/p62rfWxs6a8?t=11s) as soon as he heard the slam of the door, clearly Kurt leaving.  

 _You are my sweetest downfall_   
_I loved you first, I loved you first_

Blaine let a tear fall. Kurt made him weak in the knees. He was lonely without him. He loved him more than anything, but lately it had been only from a distance.  

_And history books forgot about us and the bible didn't mention us_

Their love is one for the history books, but that was not to say that it was always easy. The chords of this song were depressing and brilliant, and this was how he felt about Kurt right now. He didn’t know how to say it but he needed to. He needed to.

 _Beneath the stars came fallin' on our heads_   
_But they're just old light, they're just old light_

The last word died in his throat. Together, Kurt and Blaine built this love to the way it works for them and now, it was up to Blaine to speak up when it wasn’t working to his satisfaction. He texted Kurt.

**Blaine:  I need you, Kurt. I know you, remember? You overload with unimportance when you’re scared. Don’t push me away.**

**Kurt:  I know. I love you. We’ll talk when I get home.**

\-----------------------------------

The karaoke bar, Texas

\-----------------------------------

Puck hadn't really planned to end up at that same bar tonight. He just was still adjusting to not having someone to call every night like he had for so long. He didn't have regrets, he just wasn't used to the change yet. Plus seeing everyone over the holidays had made him feel a little more lonely.

"What is eating you?" Lauren teased. "You look like that beer bottle is your best friend, and you didn't bring what's-his-name, the cute one."

"Nielsen?"

"I did say the cute one, so I obviously didn't mean you, Puckerman!"

"He had a date," Puck supplied.

"Ahhh," Lauren sighed dramatically. "So I don't have a chance with him, I suppose."

Puck snorted. "Well maybe, but he goes out with a new girl every week, so I don't know if it's what you're looking for..."

"Not a long-term romantic like you apparently," Lauren prodded.

“Uh, yeah…” Puck muttered non-committally.

“What.” Lauren caught his gaze and looked right through him. “What are you not telling me?”

“Oh, Quinn and I broke up a few weeks ago,” Puck shrugged. “I mean, it was a mutual thing, and there are no hard feelings. But we had been together a long time and I guess I’ve kind of forgotten how to be single.” He brought his beer to his lips so that he wouldn’t have to keep talking.

“Need to get your mind off of it?”

“What?” he set his bottle down and looked up at her, confused.

“Well, I mean, I don’t know if you’d be interested, but I’ve got a match tomorrow night, and participants always get a couple of comp tickets.” She shrugged. “I don’t have anybody else around here to invite, but you could come. I mean if you want something to do besides drink and mope.” She gestured to his bottle. “It’s usually good to take a night off here and there you know. For the sake of your liver, if nothing else.”

He stared at her, apparently uncomprehending.

 _"You got friends in looww places"_ she droned, leaning over the bar at him.

He didn't smile, but it sort of looked like he was holding one in. "Oh my god Lauren, you are weird."

"No," she countered. "I just spend far too much time in a bar with drunk people singing country songs." She stood back, hand on hip and contemplated him for a minute. "So?" she asked again, "wanna come?"

He finished the rest of his beer in one long swallow. “I think I’d like that, actually. It would get me off the base for something besides a drink.”

“Exactly,” Lauren nodded emphatically with that I’m always right look in her eye. “So, tomorrow night at 7? I will have them hold a ticket for you at the gate.”

“Thanks,” Puck managed a real smile for the first time all evening. “You’re a good friend, you know that?”

She snorted. “Well that makes one person who thinks so.”

\-----------------------------------

Tina’s apartment, Brown University

\-----------------------------------

Tina absent-mindedly answered her phone after the second ring, still scribbling notes in the margins of her notebook from today’s class.

“Hello?”

“Is it too early for a mid-life crisis?”

“What?” Tina’s head snapped up as she shifted her focus to the voice on the other end of the line. “Artie, what are you talking about?”

“Well I think I might be having one.”

“Artie, you’re twenty. You’re not having a midlife crisis.”

“Ok, an existential crisis then,” he countered.

“I think you might be a little young for those too,” Tina suggested.

“Two weeks ago I had everything figured out for this documentary. And now Finch has torn it all apart. Again."

Tina furrowed her brow. “What now?”

“The guys helped me figure out how to reinvent the project the first time, and it was great, except that now Finch is saying that I can’t include the wheelchair dancing scene.” He paused for a long moment.

“Do you need the scene to make the documentary work?”

“Tina, I don’t just want to make a film to get a good grade,” he moaned. “I want to do something that _means_ something, you know? I want to have some impact on culture, and society. I want to reach out and touch people.”

“Artie, you’ve been passionate about this topic for years,” Tina said encouragingly. “No one can do this better than you. If this scene is key to your artistic vision, then you need to keep it in.”

“It’s about integrity,” Artie supplied.

“Yes, it’s about integrity!” Tina agreed. “You are an artist, and you have to do it in the way that you feel is right.”

“Yeah,” Artie repeated, encouraged. “I am just not sure how to do it now that he’s specifically told me to take it out.”

“Well, Artie, you know why you’re doing this scene, but maybe you need to find a way to tell your audience why you’re including it. Why it’s important.”

“Mmmmm,” Artie mused, “share the vision, as it were.”

“Yes!”

“Thanks Tina, I knew there was a reason I called you.”

“Anytime, Artie.”

\-----------------------------------

Brittany and Santana’s apartment, Los Angeles

\-----------------------------------

“Oh my god, Santana, look at this!” Brittany hollered from the living room where she was hunched over her laptop. “Looook!!”

“What?” Santana asked, plopping unceremoniously beside her on the couch.

“Look!” Brittany repeated again, pointing at the screen where an email was displayed.

Santana leaned over, squinting at the screen. “What is this, an email from Kitty Delights? I don’t understand…why is a cat treat company sending you an email?”

“They saw my last _Fondue For Two_ , where I talked about Lord Tubbington’s new fitness regimen, and they want to offer me an advertising deal. They will pay me one cent for every view an episode gets if I will feed him their treats on the show and mention them as a sponsor!”

“Wow!” Santana sat back, a mixture of surprise, pride, and confusion in her face.

“And if I get enough page views and clicks for the next ten episodes,” she added, referring to the email again, “they said there could be ‘the possibility of continuing our business arrangement in a more lucrative manner for both parties.’” She beamed at Santana. “Isn’t that amazing? I love parties!”

“How many page views do you usually get on an episode, Britt?” Santana asked cautiously.

“Well, back in Lima I usually got between one and two hundred,” she explained, “But the interview with Mercedes last week just passed a thousand views.” Brittany’s smile was smug this time. “I guess she and I have some fans after that concert tour.”

“Yeeaaah…” Santana wasn’t really sure how to respond to all of this. Of course she loved her girlfriend, and she was proud of her for working hard, and glad that she had something she loved. But Fondue For Two had been cheesy from day one (no pun intended), and this one episode must be a fluke. There couldn’t really be that many people who wanted to watch a silly vlog on a regular basis. Not even if it was tagged as a cat video.

“That’s so exciting,” Santana continued, attempting enthusiasm but completely missing the mark.

Brittany squinted at her keenly. “You’re not being honest with me Tana. What do you really think?”

Santana sighed. Sometimes she forgot that she couldn’t hide things from Brittany the way she could from everyone else. Or maybe it was that she was getting so accustomed to the facades that everyone in Hollywood used that she’d forgotten what it was like to not wear one.

“I just think maybe it’s a little premature to take on an advertising deal, Britt, your audience is kind of small. I mean one cent per viewer, even with a thousand viewers, that’s ten bucks. That’s nice but it’s not like you can make a living off of it.”

“What are you saying?” Brittany wrinkled her forehead.

“I’m saying, I know you like making this show, and it’s a perfectly fine hobby, but this isn’t a career, Brittany. I mean, sure, enjoy it while it lasts. But you’re an adult now, and you should be thinking about what will pay the bills over the long-term. You’re not Ellen, you’re not Oprah, and you’re not going to make a living doing this. You need to think about the bigger picture.”

Santana bit her lip, hoping that she hadn’t come across too harshly, but feeling like it was important to have said what she did.

“I’m worried about you,” she added.

“I think there’s more to it than that,” Brittany spat back, snapping her laptop shut, snatching it up and stepping back. “I think you’re uncomfortable with the fact that my hobby might be able to turn into a career like yours did. I think you are uncomfortable with my not having to depend on you for everything. I think you feel threatened and you don’t like it.”

Santana stared as Brittany glared.

“Wow,” Santana fumbled for words, but she couldn’t organize her thoughts enough to respond coherently just yet.

“I support you in following your dreams Santana. I need you to support me in following mine.” And with that, Brittany spun on her heel and strode out of the room.

Santana sat on the couch in shock, watching her go.

\-----------------------------------

Studio Offices, Los Angeles

\-----------------------------------

Mercedes drummed her fingers on the table in the conference room, her nails making a clacking noise that was soon as irritating as the reason she was tapping in the first place. Nathan was late for their meeting. Mercedes had accepted her agent's behavior in the past--he always made excuses about important phone calls or urgent tasks--but she was seeing it in a new way now. And she was getting tired of it. She was the talent. Without her--and people like her--he wouldn't have a job. She deserved a little professionalism. A little R-E-S-P-E-C-T!

Nathan Cole breezed through the door at 1:24.  Nearly a half hour late for their meeting. "Hi Miss Jones. Sorry I'm late, but I had to help another client of mine with a little situation..." He waved his hand vaguely, never one to divulge another client's information. Although, Mercedes realized, it was also a perfect cover for slacking off. Anytime he didn't come through, he could just say he'd been working with another client, then flash his pearly whites (probably veneers), and nobody would push him on the matter. Now that she thought about it, his methods were as clever as they were shady.

"Mr. Cole, I find it very unprofessional of you to routinely be late to our meetings," Mercedes said. "I am a busy person too, but when I am running late I have the decency to call or text a person to let them know."

"Oh I'm sorry," he grinned broadly. Obviously he was used to people melting for that smile, but Mercedes was not falling for that again.

She sighed, determine to get to business. "Mr. Cole, we are supposed to be selecting songwriters for my next album today. I have told you before that I really want to include a song written by a young but up and coming singer-songwriter named Marley Rose. She is from my hometown, and I have heard some of her songs before and they are really good. I think it would be good for both my career and hers if I do one of her songs on this album."

"Well it's complicated to do this kind of thing, like I said before," Nathan began. His voice was soft but had a patronizing edge to it that somehow Mercedes had always overlooked before. "I mean we have to get permission from the producer, and then of course this girl would have to sign a contract to not use the song herself if it's going to be released as yours. The label would--"

"That's a lie," Mercedes stated flatly. "I looked up the laws while I was waiting for you. She would have to sign a contract giving me permission to do her song on my album. She would not have to give up the rights to do it herself."

"Well not technically, Nathan quickly backpedaled, "but for the sake of your image and your brand, you don’t want someone else to do the same song you did." He shook his head with a worried expression. "No, that's why it's so much better to just do songs written by the people we already have under contract with the label. They don't sing so they won't try to steal it back." He grinned again.

"Hell to the No!" Mercedes announced. "This matters to me. I do a Marley Rose song on this album. End of discussion."

"Miss Jones, it's really not--"

"I have a question for you Nathan," she interrupted, calling him by his first name for the first time ever. There was no point in feigning professional formality at this point. "My holiday concert: you promised me it was going to be televised, then you told me that the station backed out."

"That's right..."

"Funny thing," she continued. "Because I called the station manager, and they said they had never talked to you at all."

"You must be mistaken..." he began, but Mercedes held out her hand in his face, silencing him.

She slowly rose from her chair, staring him down across the table. She placed her hands on the surface on front of her, leaning over and [singing right into his face](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDc_5zpBj7s).

_If your lips are moving, then you’re lyin’, lyin’, lyin’, baby_

Mercedes circled the table, coming up next to Nathan and leaning over so that her face was inches from his.

 _Boy, look at me in my face_   
_You really think I could be replaced_

She straightened up, adjusted her jacket, and slipped her sunglasses down off her hair and onto her face as she continued around the table.

 _And I'm a classy girl, I'mma hold it up_   
_You're full of something but it ain't love_

Mercedes stepped onto the seat of a chair, and from there up onto the long conference table. She walked it like a catwalk, pivoting, posing, and glaring at Nathan from every conceivable angle as she used the song lyrics to tear him to shreds. She owned every inch of that room and they both knew it.

 _I know you lie_   
_Cause your lips are moving_   
_Tell me do you think I'm dumb?_   
_I might be young, but I ain't stupid_   
_Baby don't you know I'm done_

She came out of her spin into a cocky stance, hip jutted to one side and hand in the air.

Nathan sat, awestruck. Of course he knew that his client was a singer--and a good one too--but he had never been on the receiving end of something like that.

"Miss Jones," he sputtered.

"Keep it," Mercedes snapped. "You're fired!" And with a toss of her head she turned and walked out.

\-----------------------------------

A little cafe, Texas

\-----------------------------------

“I did not see that coming,” Puck admitted midway through his banana split.

“Didn’t see what coming?” Lauren asked, stabbing her spoon into the mountain of brownies, ice cream, and fudge sauce in front of her.

“That even at pro-wrestling, it would still be co-ed,” Puck explained.

“Oh, that.” Lauren snickered. “Well, in some places maybe not, but in my weight class, yeah, co-ed.”

“Oh, I forgot wrestling was by weight.”

“Yep, and I’m too tall or something.”

“Right.” Puck wasn’t sure what else to say about that. Girls always took it so personally if a guy said anything about their height or weight so he busied himself with his ice cream.

“Actually, it gives me an advantage,” Lauren smirked. “A lot of guys feel awkward about taking down a girl, even at this level, so they usually hesitate--just for a moment--and I can use that.”

“Mmmm,” Puck agreed around a mouthful of ice cream. “I wouldn’t.”

“You wouldn’t what?” she cocked an eyebrow at him.

“Hesitate. I wouldn’t be afraid to take you down.”

She snorted. “I’m sure you wouldn’t. But I don’t think you could.”

“Hey!” Puck attempted to defend himself as he hurriedly swallowed another bite. “I’ve bulked up since high school. The whole military thing has-- _oowwwwwww!_ ” He crinkled his face and smooshed his palms against the sides of his head.

“Brain freeze?”

“Yes,” he admitted miserably.

She tried to hold in the giggle. She really did. But she couldn’t.

He glared at her. “Don’t make fun of me. It hurts!”

“Fine.” She shoveled a huge mouthful of ice cream into her mouth, scrunching up her face as she swallowed it down.

He watched her through a furrowed brow. “What the hell?”

She sat perfectly still with the scrunched face for a few moments before relaxing. “Nope.”

“What?”

“It didn’t work. I was going to give myself a brain freeze too, for solidarity, but it didn’t work.”

“It didn’t work,” he echoed softly, looking a little confused.

“Sorry, apparently I’m more macho than you are, Puckerman.” She smirked.

“Oh no you didn’t!” Puck had pride to defend!

“What if I did?” Lauren wasn’t one to quit once she’d started.

“This isn’t over!” he exclaimed, gesturing with his spoon to emphasize his point.

“I hope not,” she retorted. “I haven’t finished my brownies yet.”

“You knew what I meant!”

“Um-hmm.” Her attention appeared to be completely focused on her food. “I think I want french fries to go with this. Go get me some french fries.”

“What?”

She looked at him over her glasses. “Please get me some french fries, Puckerman. I’ll even share them with you, if you’re nice to me.”

“I’m always nice to you.”

“I know.”  When she smiled this time, it wasn’t quite as saucy.

\-----------------------------------

A small, nondescript room, New York City

\-----------------------------------

A single spotlight came up, illuminating Artie’s face.

Julie’s face peered at him from behind the video camera. “Are you ready to start?” Their relationship had certainly gotten off to a rough start last year during the STD fiasco, but eventually she’d told him that she appreciated his honesty, and they had become friends. She had no interest in dating him, but she was willing enough to help out with a project.

“Yeah, ready whenever you are.”

“Ok, rolling.” Julie looked through the lens again, checking the focus one final time before pressing the button.

Artie looked directly at the camera, which was focused only on his face, and began to speak.

“When I was four I took my first gymnastics class, and I used to spend hours running around the back yard waving batons. I loved the feeling of jumping and twirling and the way I could bend my body to express myself. When I was six, my mother took me to see _The Nutcracker,_ and I fell in love with dancing. As I grew older, that love only increased.”

Julie’s careful hand on the camera adjusted a switch and the film slowly zoomed out, gradually revealing the fact that Artie was in a wheelchair.

“Certain life events have affected the way that I dance now,” he continued in a level tone, though Julie thought she saw his chin quiver, and knew this monolog was a hard one for him to deliver. “But I still love and value the ability to express oneself through movement, even if I must approach it in an unconventional way, and that is why I wanted to make this documentary.”

Artie stopped speaking and looked up at Julie. “Did you get it?”

She nodded, pressing a button to stop the camera before tucking a strand of loose hair behind her ear.

“Professor Finch is a real stickler, Artie. He might doc you for putting this in your film.”

Artie smiled. “I know, but sometimes you just know that something is right, so you do it anyway.

She popped the camera off of the tripod and handed it to Artie. “Well, it’s your project. I hope it works out.” She headed for the door, holding it open as Artie came through behind her.

“Thanks for your help, Julie.”

“Anytime.”

\-----------------------------------

Backstage at a theater, New York City

\-----------------------------------

Mike leaned over and all the way down, grabbing his ankles and stretching his hips and back one more time before standing up and shaking out again. This was his first audition for an actual broadway show and he couldn’t help but be a little nervous. Sure, he wasn’t expecting a lead, and all he really wanted was to be in the dance chorus, but an audition was an audition, and the nerves were inevitable. He grabbed his water bottle and took a long gulp.

“Mike? Mike Chang? Is that you?” a voice behind him asked. Mike spun and was surprised to see a familiar face from years ago.

“Matt Rutherford?!”

“Mike!” Matt exclaimed, coming into him with open arms. “How you been, man!”

“Good! Good!” Mike replied through a smile, accepting the hug and giving Matt’s back a good thump like the old friend he was. Mike had been vaguely aware that Matt was in New York, or at least that he’d come to college here. (Facebook had told him that much), but they hadn’t actually talked in years.

“What have you been up to?” Matt asked goodnaturedly, a contagious smile spreading across his face as he raised his arm and stretched it over his head to the left.

“Oh I’m at Juilliard,” Mike said proudly, I spent a couple of years at the Joffrey and then transferred over.

“Wow,” Matt nodded, impressed, “you always were an impressive dancer. That’s awesome that you’re pursuing it professionally.” He hesitated a moment before adding, “were your folks on board with that? I remember once upon a time plans for medical school or law school.”

Mike chuckled. “Yeah, it took them a while, but they did come around my senior year and they are supportive now. If I get into this show I think they will come out to see it. I didn’t tell them I was auditioning though. Didn’t want to jinx it.”

“Right,” Matt nodded, his other arm over his head and leaning to the right this time.

“So how about you? What have you been up to?” Mike asked.

“Oh, well, I’m almost done at NYU,” Matt said with a vague gesture. “In marketing actually, which I do like, but every few months I find myself auditioning for something again. Once I got a taste for performing I couldn’t stay away I guess.”

“I know what you mean,” Mike agreed, dropping onto a chair and grabbing his feet to stretch his ankles. Matt sat beside him to do the same. “Have you gotten any parts?”

“A couple of ensemble roles at the college, one in an off-broadway original play,” Matt shrugged. “Nothing big yet, but that’s ok. I’m here for the rush and the fun. I’m not trying to make a career of it. My hat’s off to you for having the guts to go for that.”

Mike grinned. “It’s a little terrifying now and then,” he agreed, “contemplating trying to make a living as a dancer. Like, what if I’m too ethnic, or too tall, or too whatever for the role? If the director doesn’t like me, I don’t have a job. That’s a hard way to make a career.”

“Well,” Matt side-eyed him as a grin played at the edge of his mouth, “there’s always law school as a backup, right?”

\-----------------------------------

Sam’s room, Lima, Ohio

\-----------------------------------

Sam adjusted the phone on his ear as Mercedes talked. She had been going for several minutes now without hardly taking a breath, and she seemed to need to get it out, so he was just making occasional “mm-hmm” noises of encouragement, and letting her go…”

“It was the craziest thing, Sam, honestly. Part of me still can’t believe that I did it!”

There was an awkward silence for a few moments before Sam realized that she was waiting for him to reply now.

“Uh, yeah, that is pretty intense,” he said supportively. “What happens now? I mean, since you fired him?”

“Well I have to find a new agent, obviously.”

“Yeah, but how do you do that? Is your producer going to get you in some kind of trouble for firing the agent that he recommended to you?”

“Ugh, that’s a conversation I’m not looking forward to,” Mercedes moaned. “I hadn’t thought about that part yet.”

“Sorry,” Sam couldn’t help a little chuckle. “I didn’t mean to bring you down. I’m really proud of you for standing up to Nathan like you did.”

“Thanks Sam.” A little smile crossed her face and he could hear it in her voice.

“You’re gonna be ok ‘Cedes, you’re so talented and amazing and you won’t have any trouble finding a new agent.”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence, babe. It’s still a little nerve-wracking to take a leap like this though.”

“I know,” he hesitated, not sure if it would be rude to turn the conversation to himself, but then deciding that it was probably ok. “I have a leap of my own to take this week, and it’s both completely exciting and completely terrifying.”

Mercedes didn’t seem to mind the shift at all. “What’s going on?”

“Remember how I told you about Marcus, from the Lima Herald, and how we ran into each other at Starbucks and he gave me his card?”

“Yeaaahhh…”

“Well I called him back this morning. And in a couple of days I’m going to have a meeting with him and another editor there about putting Accidental Heroes in the paper.

“Sam, that’s so great!”

“I know, I mean, I’m really excited.” he continued eagerly, the words spilling out faster and faster. “But I’m also scared to death that they won’t like the strip, or that they will like it but then I will say something stupid and they won’t like me. Or what if they print it and then people don’t read it, or what if they print it and people do read it but they don’t like it? Or what if--”

“Sam!” Mercedes stopped his downward spiral.

“Yeah?” He was panting a little, catching his breath after his spiel.

“Calm down, boy!”

“What?”

“Look, we both have big things going on right now, and they are great things, even if they are also scary things. But we have each other, right?”

“Yeah,” his grin came through his voice.

“So, no matter what happens at that meeting, you remember that I support you and I love you, ok?”

“And I love you and support you too,” he added quickly.

“I know you do, Sam.”

“So let’s hold hands and jump together!”

“Together!”

\-----------------------------------

The Loft, New York City, Monday night potluck dinner

\-----------------------------------

“Well, I have exciting news today!” Rachel announced enthusiastically.

Blaine, Kurt, Mike, and Artie all turned to her.

“Well, I mean, I think it will be especially exciting for you two,” she gestured between Kurt and Blaine. “I found an apartment!”

“Rachel,” Blaine said with concern, “are you sure you can afford…” Kurt’s elbow connected with his ribs rather sharply.

“I saw an ad in the paper for an apartment near one of the colleges. It’s a three bedroom but six girls live there to share the rent so it’s very affordable.”

“Sounds crowded,” Blaine eyed her carefully. “Are you sure you’re up for that?” Kurt kicked him under the table, meeting his eyes with a little glare. “I mean, that’s fantastic!” Blaine corrected. Kurt nodded and put another forkful of salad in his mouth.

“One of the girls is leaving to move in with her boyfriend, so they need a new roommate, and when I called the one I talked to seemed really nice so I’m going to go for it.”

“That’s great, Rachel,” Artie said supportively.

“I also am going to be singing at The Blue on Friday.”

“The where?” Mike asked.

“The Blue,” Rachel repeated. “It’s a little nightclub downtown. It’s a far cry from Broadway, but they agreed to let me come sing this weekend, and I think it can be a stepping stone to finding my career again.”

Rachel looked around the group. “So, how about everyone else?” Even though they all shared what was going on in their lives every week, the way Rachel said it made it sound like a challenge. As if she were daring someone--anyone--to have something better to share than what she had.

“Well, my professor told me to cut the best scene from my documentary,” Artie shared. “But I’m not going to.”

A few eyebrows shot up around the table.

“Won’t that endanger your grade?” Blaine asked with concern.

“Possibly,” Artie acknowledged. “But I think I found a way to make it work.”

“Is this about that scene we’re shooting tomorrow?” Mike asked curiously.

“Indeed it is!”

“Ah.” Mike didn’t have to say much to still make it clear that he understood the complexity of the situation.

“What’s wrong with the scene?” Rachel asked. “Or what’s important about it, or whatever.”

“It’s wheelchair dancing,” Artie explained.

“You mean like what Mr. Schue had us do that one time?” Kurt asked without looking up from his plate (he’d worked another long shift today and he was hungry!).

“Yeah, sort of,” Artie said. Rachel, Mike, and Kurt all nodded in understanding. Blaine looked around at the rest of them with barely-concealed confusion. He hadn’t heard this story. He made a mental note to ask Kurt about it later.

“Well,” Mike spoke up. “Speaking of the first year of glee club, guess who I ran into this week?”

Everyone looked at him, waiting for him to continue.

“Matt!”

“Who?” Rachel asked.

“Matt Rutherford,” Kurt gave her a dirty look. “Did you even notice anyone in the club besides Finn that year?”

“Of course I did!” Rachel defended herself. “I noticed Mercedes, and I noticed you!”

Kurt nodded. “Yeah, because we were your competition!”

Blaine stopped the potential diva-off before it could get any bigger. “So, Mike, where did you see him?”

“At an audition, actually.”

“Oh really, what were you auditioning for?” Everyone showed interest now. Rachel even stopped glaring at Kurt.

“ _Hedwig and the Angry Inch,_ actually.”

“ _Oh, I love that show!_ ” Blaine almost yelled, jumping out of his chair and reaching across the table to give Mike a high five.

Kurt almost choked. He kind of loved that show too. He squeezed his eyes shut and tried not to picture Mike in drag. It didn’t work. At all.

Then another thought hit him. “Wait, you auditioned for the role of an East German transgender rock singer? That doesn’t really seem like your typical wheelhouse…”

“Well, it’s not a typical production of the show,” Mike admitted. “You’re right, I don’t sing well enough to play a lead and there aren’t really background roles in the show. But it’s for a special live concert they’re doing this summer with all the Hedwigs up to date, and an ensemble with dancers. So that’s what I auditioned for.”

“All in drag?” Kurt attempted to sound casual.

“Um-hmm,” Mike nodded. “That will be something new! I’ve never done drag before, since my parents wouldn’t let me do it for Rocky Horror back at McKinley.”

“It all sounds amazing! So when will you hear back?” Rachel asked.

“Actually I got a callback earlier today,” Mike beamed. “So I’m moving on to the next round. We’ll see what happens from here.

“Look at you, headed for the big time!” Blaine congratulated him. “That’s awesome!”

Mike smiled shyly. “Thanks.”

“What’s your dream role?” Artie prodded. “Something like Burt in _Mary Poppins_? Or maybe Dream Curly in _Oklahoma!_?”

“Ok, well, don’t laugh,” Mike began. Everyone solemnly shook their heads. Artie held up a hand as if swearing in court, and Rachel crossed her heart.

“I’ve always kind of wanted to be in _Newsies_.”

“I love that show!” Blaine cheered.

Kurt nodded. “You’d be great, I’m sure.”

“How about you guys?” Artie asked, looking at Blaine and Kurt. “Just school and work and wedding planning?”

“Pretty much,” Kurt nodded, covering his mouth as a yawn unexpectedly crept out. He smiled. “There’s not time for anything else really.”

“Kurt’s a bit of a work-a-holic,” Blaine said shortly.

Kurt side-eyed him. “I’m just trying to provide for our future, unlike some people who only seem to think about the present.”

Rachel, Artie, and Mike all froze as the quarrel unfolded in front of them. Even Rachel held her tongue, unwilling--or unable--to cut into tension this thick.

“You spend all your time working. Providing is one thing, but it’s hard to plan for ‘our’ future when there’s hardly an ‘us’ in the present, Kurt.”

Kurt set down his fork and put his hands on the table as he focused his intense gaze on Blaine. Blaine matched him, brown eyes meeting blue in a collision that looked like it was about to make the table burst into flames.

“I’m doing this for us, Blaine. That’s the point. I know you miss the days when we could just hang out and do nothing, but we’re adults now and we have to act like it.”

“You know who you sound like right now?”

“Who?!” Kurt knew what he was thinking, and he was just _daring_ him to say it.

“My father!” Blaine whispered intensely.

Rachel gasped, pulling them both back to the present moment and the fact that they had an audience.

Kurt looked back and forth from face to face around the table, eyes wide in disbelief. Then he threw up his hands in a gesture of surrender and strode out of the room.

\-----------------------------------

Santana and Brittany’s apartment, Los Angeles, CA

\-----------------------------------

Santana glanced at the caller ID before answering her phone.

“What’s up, Lady Hummel?” she asked sassily.

“Santana,” Kurt hissed through clenched teeth, “I am _so_ not in the mental state to be called that right now.”

“Oh,” she hesitated a moment. “Sorry, Kurt. What’s going on?”

“Blaine’s mad at me--”

“Pshaw,” Santana interrupted. “Tell me about it, Britt is mad at me too.”

“--and I don’t even know why,” Kurt interrupted back, determined to get his piece said. “I mean I’m just trying to do what will help us and provide for our future, and he’s mad at me for it.”

“I’m just trying to help her think about what’s important,” Santana agreed. “I don’t know why she can’t see the big picture.”

“Why do the people we love have to be so damn frustrating sometimes? Like, don’t they see that we’re just doing our best?”

“Well I don’t know, Hummel, you can be an awfully irritating person…” Santana teased. “I mean, Britt dated you for like, two seconds, and I still don’t know how she could stand it.”

“Uh-huh,” Kurt snapped back. “You only mind that because I’m the only real competition you have in that department.”

“At least I’m prettier than you,” she retorted.

“You wish!” he laughed. The banter was cathartic for Kurt. It was a chance to let off some steam without actually hurting anyone. He didn’t have a punching bag like Blaine did. This was how he needed to do it.

“What did Short Stuff do?” Santana pried. Gossip was fun, and she liked having dirt on people.

“He said I reminded him of his father.” Kurt rolled his eyes. Santana couldn’t see it of course, but she was doing the same thing.

“Oh god!” she shuddered. “Ewww.”

“I know!” Kurt was pleased to have someone on his side about this.

“Isn’t he like homophobic and crap? That’s a horrible thing to say.”

“No,” Kurt defended (god, was he defending him?). “He’s not a bad guy, and he’s not homophobic. He does really care about Blaine and his happiness, they just don’t communicate very well so they end up hurting each other…” his voice trailed off. “Oh god,” he whispered. “I’m totally like his father.”

“Look Hummel, if that’s your kink, whatever, that’s fine. But I didn’t need the details, ok?” Santana’s voice got muffled for a moment and Kurt realized she was talking to Brittany. “No, I don’t want to help you decide which flavor of Kitty Delights to debut on the show first, Britt. I told you the whole thing is silly.” She sighed dramatically as she put the phone back to her ear. “Honestly, if I weren’t in love with this girl I might have to murder her.”

“What’s going on?” Kurt asked, curious, and suddenly feeling a little wiser than he had before.

Santana explained about the advertising offer, and why she felt like it was a waste of time.

“Is it keeping you from following your dreams?” Kurt asked bluntly.

“No.”

“Is it going to keep her from following hers?”

“I doubt it…”

“So why not just be supportive? Maybe your relationship with each other is more important than being right.”

“Kurt?”

“What.”

“That’s…” she hesitated, searching for a word. “That’s kind of smart, actually.”

“Thanks,” he replied. “My dad taught me that.”

\-----------------------------------

A large dance studio, New York

\-----------------------------------

Mike brought his wheelchair to a stop and sat, breathing heavily, next to Artie.

“I remember doing this back in Glee Club that one week,” he panted, “but I forgot how exhausting it really is. Especially trying to dance this way.”

Artie smiled with just a hint of smugness. “I guess all the snarky remarks about ‘at least you get to sit down through the whole performance’ were unfair after all, huh?”

Mike’s eyes got wide. “I never said that, did I?”

Artie chuckled. “Oh no, you didn’t, but other people did.”

“Well they were completely wrong,” Mike stated firmly. “I dance for hours every day, but trying to maneuver a chair around a dance studio is using completely different muscles, and it’s exhausting!”

“Well then,” Artie said with a glance toward the tripod in the corner, “shall we run it again?”

Artie nodded and clicked a remote in his pocket to start the [music](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6E2hYDIFDIU).

\---

 _And now, the end is near;_   
_And so I face the final curtain._

Kurt was sitting on the bed, staring into his lap, but he looked up when Blaine knocked on the post at the corner of the room and pulled the curtain aside.

“Can I come in?”

Kurt patted the bed next to where he was sitting. “Yeah.”

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have snapped like that at you, especially in front of everyone--”

“Blaine, I’m the one who needs to apologize here. You’re right, how are we supposed to plan a future if we don’t even have a present.”

“Kurt…”

“Which is why--” he turned the laptop around so that Blaine could see the screen, “I got us a pair of tickets for Coney Island for Saturday. And I already told Gunther I can’t work. We’re taking the whole day for just us.”

Blaine’s grin filled his face as they embraced.

\---

 _Regrets, I've had a few;_   
_But then again, too few to mention._

Brittany clicked the box on her e-contract with Kitty Delights, and held her breath as she pressed ‘submit.’

“It’s done,” she whispered.

“Congratulations,” Santana whispered back, handing her a tall glass of sparkling cider. “I’m sorry I doubted you. I hope this works out.”

“I’m excited,” Brittany smiled.

“Then I’m excited too.”

\---

 _I did what I had to do_   
_And saw it through without exemption._

Sam scribbled his signature on the bottom of the contract. The Lima Herald was going to do a run of Accidental Heroes for ten weeks. If it was popular, they would negotiate a longer contract. He felt giddy as he wiped his sweaty hand on his pants before holding it out to shake with the editor. “Thanks so much, I’m so excited.”

\---

 _I planned each charted course;_   
_Each careful step along the byway,_

Quinn signed her name on the page with a flourish. She was now an official member of the Yale Pre-Law Society. She smiled as she passed the pen to the next person.

\---

 _But more, much more than this,_   
_I did it my way._

Mercedes breathed a sigh of relief as she shook hands with her new agent.This hadn’t been nearly as hard as she’d feared.

\---

 _For what is a man, what has he got?_   
_If not himself, then he has naught._

Lauren carefully gripped the pistol with both hands, aimed at the target, and pulled the trigger.

“Damn, another bullseye!” Nielsen exclaimed. “Puckerman, we can’t take this girl shooting anymore. She makes us look bad.”

Puck just grinned.

\---

 _The record shows I took the blows -_   
_And did it my way!_

Rachel balanced the paper on her knee and scribbled her name on the dotted line. “Are we good then?” She handed the paper back and smiled sweetly.

“Yep,” the other girl replied as she glanced over the page. “Welcome to the apartment, Rachel!”

\---

Artie rolled over to the tripod, the blinking red light on the front of it indicating that the camera still captured his every move. He reached up and carefully pressed the button. The red light went out.

\-----------------------------------

The Blue, a lounge in New York City

\-----------------------------------

Rachel took a deep breath, and stepped up onto the small stage at the end of the room. She had convinced the manager to let her sing for half an hour tonight. If the audience liked it, she would get an hour on each of two nights next week with an option of more if that was successful too. It wasn’t a lot, but it was a start. And if there was one thing Rachel Berry knew how to do, it was perform for an audience. She pasted a smile on her face, wrapped her fingers around the microphone, and as she [began to sing](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38gN7Cv0fNA) the rest of the world faded away. Being here, right now, was perfect.

 _Wounded heart, nothing new_  
 _Paint the bedroom, change the view_  
 _Face a loss, feel no shame_  
 _Tear each picture from its frame_  
 _I connect missing thoughts_  
 _Looking back, there were lots_  
 _Soon enough how I failed_  
 _I held myself today, dream it all away_  
 _Mum always said_  
 _Tomorrow is another day..._  
  
======================================================  
  
And that's it for this week's edition of Glee Season Fix! Come back next week for episode 12, called _Flashback_ !  
[ Here you can reblog the episode stills. ](http://gleeseasonfix.tumblr.com/post/113612573021/glee-season-fix-episode-stills-i-did-it-my) Mind helping us out by spreading the word on tumblr?  [](http://de.tinypic.com?ref=6hjn6t)


	12. Flashback

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As wedding planning progresses, Kurt and Blaine each face an important question about the big day, and Elliott and Mike offer suggestions. Brittany and Santana look for some quiet in their busy lives. Rachel’s new roommates are not quite what she had expected. Sam has a surprise for Mercedes, and Carole’s pregnancy brings a surprise as well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written by [ gingerfic ](http://archiveofourown.org/users/gingerfic/pseuds/gingerfic) and [ thedementress](http://thedementress.tumblr.com/)  
> Beta by [ HKvoyage ](http://hkvoyage.tumblr.com) and [ alwaysfallingforanidea ](http://alwaysfallingforanidea.tumblr.com/)  
> Disclaimer: This is a work of fanfiction. All the characters and backstories belong to Glee and its creators.
> 
> Content Warning: Many mentions of Finn in this episode
> 
> Glee Season Fix (“GSF”) was written independently of spoilers about Glee Season 6. If songs or plots overlap, it’s due to coincidence or nature of the storylines that need resolution. If references pop up, we excuse ourselves for not being able to hold back.
> 
> Like on the show, GSF also includes songs and performances. There are links to full versions of each song, as well as a few pieces of lyrics quoted in the scene. We hope you will enjoy listening as well as reading, but be aware that the written version is shortened, whereas the audio versions are the full songs.

_Here’s what you missed on Glee Season Fix..._

_Blaine and Kurt are planning their wedding, but they’ve run into a problem because Cooper expects to be Blaine’s best man but back before he proposed to Kurt, Blaine told Sam that he wanted him to be his best man. So how is that going to work? Plus Kurt is going to need a best man too, but who is he going to pick?_

_Sam and Mercedes are rocking this long distance relationship thing. They talk to each other every night and say ridiculous lovey things to each other and it might be a little bit gross if it wasn’t so adorable. Basically things are perfect for them, except for the little part where they live more than two thousand miles apart._

_Brittany and Santana are rocking the living together thing, except that they’re both getting so busy that sometimes they almost forget that they actually live together. Speaking of living with people, Rachel finally moved out of the loft and everyone is happy about that. Especially everyone that used to be her roommate._

_Things are so-far-so-good with Carole’s pregnancy, but they haven’t had the amnio-cento-thingie yet, so maybe everybody should be careful about counting their chickens before they hatch._

 

January 2015

\-----------------------------------

New York City

\-----------------------------------

Kurt sat next to Blaine with his head on his fiancé's shoulder. Blaine was focused on the book on his lap, and Kurt half-dozed to the sway and hum of the subway car that was carrying them toward home. Over lunch they had finally had a serious discussion about wedding attendants. Blaine explained that he had been frustrated at Thanksgiving when Cooper had obviously assumed he would be a best man, especially because Blaine remembered that he had sort of asked Sam to be his best man back when he had proposed. He had a more brotherly relationship with Sam than he did with Cooper, but Cooper was trying so hard lately...so Blaine was trying to figure out who to let down and how. Kurt, on the other hand, faced somewhat of the opposite problem. Instead of two potential attendants waiting in the wings, Kurt had none, and he wasn’t sure what to do about it. His mind wandered back to the night of his dad's wedding.

_Kurt and Finn sat next to each other watching their parents dance to the final song of the evening. Most of their friends had already gone, but Kurt had already informed Finn that as the wedding planners they had clean-up duty, so they were waiting. It was becoming less awkward to sit together like this, although Kurt still struggled with it sometimes since only a year ago he had been crushing on the guy who was now his brother. He appreciated Finn's recent efforts to be more brotherly, and dedicating that song to him tonight had been… unexpected and amazing to say the least. Kurt was still reeling a little actually. He knew that one day or one week wouldn’t make all their weird history suddenly comfortable, but he was hopeful…_

_“One day that’s going to be us up there,” Finn whispered to him._

_“What?!” Kurt’s mind jumped a hundred directions at once, none of them very logical under the circumstances._

_“I mean someday I’ll get married, and someday you’ll get married, and we’ll have our turns to be the ones who get to dance the last dance and then leave, and not have to stay and clean up.”_

_“Oh… yeah,” Kurt chuckled, trying to pretend that he’d known that Finn meant, and that he wasn’t blushing like mad right now._

_“And when it’s me, I think I’m going to want you to be my best man,” Finn added nonchalantly. “I mean, that’s like the normal brother thing, right?”_

_Kurt choked a little and had to clear his throat. “Um, I think so?”_

_“I never had a brother. I never thought I would have a brother,” Finn went on, gesturing awkwardly, and apparently oblivious to Kurt’s near collapse at his side. “So I never really thought about it before. But now here we are, and we’re brothers, and you know, I think I like it.” He turned to grin at Kurt, and Kurt grinned back._

_“I like it too, Finn.”_

_“And you don’t have to make me your best man or anything, it’s just, it’s something I want to do--”_

_“Me too,” Kurt interrupted. “I don’t know the details of how it will work out for me yet, but I do believe that someday I’ll have someone that I’ll want to spend the rest of my life with.” He glanced down at the napkin he’d been doodling on, realizing he’d written ‘courage’ six times, and he smiled. “Finn, I would be honored to have you by my side when I do that.”_

_Finn looked like he might be about to cry. “Well then it’s settled, huh?”_

_“What is?”_

_“We will dance at each other’s weddings!” Finn declared, as though it were obvious. “I’m sure you’ll have some really good looking guy,” he added, “Who loves you back the way you deserve. But he’d better let me have a dance with you or I might have to--”_

_“Oh my god,” Kurt giggled. “I don’t even have a boyfriend yet. Worry about beating him up when I actually have one, okay?”_

_“Fine,” the tall boy agreed. “But I am going to be protective of you, because you’re the only little brother I have.”_

_“I’m older than you, Finn.”_

_“I know!” Finn grinned back._

The subway train’s brakes squealed as it pulled into a stop with a lurch.

“We’re here,” Blaine whispered softly into his lover’s hair. Kurt smiled back at him as he sat up and straightened his jacket, grabbing his satchel and preparing to stand up. He had someone who loved him the way he deserved now, and someone he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. And now that he was finally ready to marry that someone, his brother wasn’t going to be here for it.

Kurt sniffed and wiped at his eye rapidly, hoping that no one had noticed. He slipped his hand into Blaine’s and they headed for the stairs that would take them up to home.

\-----------------------------------

Mercedes’s Apartment, Los Angeles

\-----------------------------------

“Naw, nothing exciting this week,” Sam said from the small skype window as he stifled a yawn. “Just work, you know. I’m at the tire store almost every day, and then drawing Accidental Heroes in the evening if I have an idea.” He shrugged. “Lima is pretty quiet.”

“Actually LA has been pretty quiet this week too,” Mercedes replied, turning on a lamp and adjusting her webcam to avoid the glare. “It’s been nice. Things get so hectic around here sometimes I feel like I’m going to lose my mind. I appreciate the break.”

“That’s why I came back to Lima last year, because I needed somewhere quiet. I’m a country boy at heart, you know that.”

“Mmm-hmm,” Mercedes nodded. She did know. And she understood his affection for the slower pace of life that Lima offered. But she also knew that her career required spending time in a city, and that she would probably never live in Ohio again. “You know Sam, New York is just city, city, city for miles in every direction. LA is a really big city, but it’s not quite the same. You can drive out past the edge and then there are mountains and beaches…”

“And quiet?”

“And quiet,” she assured him. “Not that I’ve gotten out of town much,” she added, “but if I had someone to go with, I bet I would.”

“Maybe I can find you someone to go with,” Sam flirted. “I know a guy…”

“Only if he’s tall, blond, and a good kisser,” Mercedes demanded playfully. “I have standards!”

They both laughed, the uninhibited kind of belly laugh that only people who are comfortable with each other can make.

“It would be nice to spend some time together out in nature,” Sam said thoughtfully. “I was remembering the other day about that summer when we were first dating.”

“And we spent so much time at the lake?” Mercedes asked. “Wow, that seems like so long ago, doesn’t it?”

“I dunno, what, three years?”

“Three and a half.”

“Yeah. I guess that’s a long time…”

_Mercedes sat awkwardly beside Sam. Yes, she had wanted to come to the lake with him. But now that the picnic was done and it was time for swimming she was starting to feel self-conscious. She was usually pretty comfortable in her own skin, but bathing suit season always reminded her that she was a lot curvier than most of her friends. So when she’d put on her suit today, she had carefully tied her sarong around her waist as a skirt. Now they were packing all their things into a bag so that nothing would get lost or taken while they swam. Sam had just taken off his shirt and wow he looked good. She hoped he wouldn’t notice that she was blushing._

_“Hey Cedes?” he asked, pulling her out of her reverie._

_“What?” Oh god she’d been staring hadn’t she._

_He held out a bottle. “Can you put sunblock on my back? I burn really bad if I don’t put on a ton of this stuff.”_

_“Oh sure,” Mercedes answered automatically, taking the bottle. She squeezed a glob of it into her hand and started rubbing it on his back. His skin was warm and smooth and oh god this was really distracting. She cleared her throat and tried to focus on the sunblock._

_“Make sure you go all the way down.”_

_“What?”_

_“Make sure you get it all the way down to my waistband,” Sam repeated. “One time my little brother was helping me with my sunblock, and he only got about halfway down, and I had the most awful sunburn right around my middle.” He twisted around and tried to point but he just ended up knocking the bottle out of her hands and into the sand. He grinned awkwardly. “It hurt to wear pants for a week after that.”_

_“Oh, right.” Mercedes gingerly spread the lotion lower. She got another glob and worked it in. His muscles shifted beneath her hands as he spread sunblock over his front and arms._

_“Yeah, it kinda sucks being fair-skinned like this. When I burn I get bright red, and then I peel, like everywhere. It’s pretty lame.”_

_“I’m sorry,” Mercedes sympathized. “I’ve never had a sunburn that bad,” she added awkwardly. She snapped the lid of the bottle closed and gave him a little pat between the shoulder blades. “Well, I think you’re safe for today anyway! I put a ton on sunblock on you, and I got down to your waistband.”_

_“Thanks!” Sam shot her a grin as he stood up, dusting the sand off his legs. “Are you ready?” He held out his hand to help her up._

_She took his hand and got to her feet. “Yeah, I’m ready for some nice cool water.”_

_“Are you going to swim with that?” he asked, pointing at her sarong._

_Oh. “No, I forgot I still had it on.” She smiled bashfully. She hadn’t really forgotten, she’d just been avoiding this moment. Oh well, she couldn’t put it off any longer. She took a deep breath and untied the knot, letting the fabric fall in a little pile at her feet. “Ok.” She made herself look up at him._

_“Awesome!” Sam cheered, grabbing her hand again. “Let’s go!” he shouted as he pulled her toward the water._

“That was when I fell in love with you, Sam,” Mercedes said softly.

“At the lake?”

“Yes. You were the first person who ever really liked me that way. And the first who didn’t care that I wasn’t like other girls. Didn’t look like other girls. I always felt beautiful when I was with you.”

“That’s because you are beautiful.”

She blushed again. Why did Sam make her do that so much? Oh well, she was dating him again now. She might as well get used to it!

“Thank you, Sam. I know you feel that way. But not everyone does.”

“Because they’re blind and deaf and stupid,” Sam pronounced. “I don’t know how anyone could not see how amazing and beautiful you are. Whenever you walk in the whole room lights up, Mercedes. You’re amazing.”

“And you’re amazing back,” she laughed. “You can make me laugh when nobody else can. I know I was nervous about doing this long distance relationship thing, but I’m so glad we got back together. I wish I could have you here to hold, but it makes me so happy to know that you’re out there and that you’re mine.”

“Our calls every night are my favorite part of the day,” he agreed. “I don’t know how people lived before texting and skype and stuff though. I think I might lose it if I couldn’t talk to you all the time.

“The feeling’s mutual.”

“Oh,” he blurted, “I almost forgot to tell you. I can’t do our call next Friday.”

“Why not?” she teased, “do you have a hot date or something?”

“Yeah, if by date you mean videotaping The Vibratos at a bar mitzvah, and if by hot you mean 120 people packed in the Lima Community Center.”

“Ewwwww,” Mercedes grimaced. She knew how small the LCC was, and how fast things got overheated in there. “Well try not to sweat to death, I guess. I’ll miss talking to you.”

“I’ll miss talking to you too.”

\-----------------------------------

The Loft, New York City

\-----------------------------------

Blaine entered their bedroom carrying a large tray bearing sumptuous Japanese food; different sorts of sushi and delectable pink and cream orange-colored sashimi were all neatly arranged in a row on a plate, with a dollop of bright green wasabi in the corner. An artful pile of tempura with a perfect light, crisp batter made Kurt's mouth water, and so did the round and fat takoyaki balls glistening with a sweet brown sauce. Blaine set down the tray on their bed, careful not to slosh the bowl of miso soup and hot green tea. A small plate of bunny and panda designed sweets was an eye-tickler that perfectly set the mood in the loft.

_Kurt ran into Blaine’s arms one evening in the loft, babbling incoherently. "O-one of the girls had to back out because of a One Direction concert and I was like, ‘How dare you exchange them for this trip?!’ and then she was like, ‘VIP, Hummel! I could bathe Zayn’s sweat all night!’.”_

_“Kurt, what are you even talking about?” Blaine said, clearly baffled. Kurt exhaled deeply, realizing he was getting nowhere._

_“Vogue called me and asked if I want to join them to Tokyo, Japan next week for a meeting."_

Kurt threw three pairs of boots into his luggage, then took a pair out and replaced it with a heavy coat. He then placed a neatly folded sweater on top of it, frowned, then took it out again. “Blaine?”

“Yes, dear?”

“Give me those chopsticks. I’m going to stress-eat.”

Blaine shook his head as he handed a pair of wooden chopsticks to Kurt. “Relax, Kurt. It’s only five days. And don’t pack so heavy. You’ll be shopping like the end of the world is nigh, trust me. Plus, how are you going to fit all those DIY candy kits I want?”

Kurt didn’t say anything. Well, he didn’t need to say anything as his mouth was stuffed with sushi and a piece of tempura was waiting next in line to his mouth. Blaine daintily took a sip of miso soup straight from the bowl.

_Blaine could hardly contain his excitement that he almost strangled his fiancé with his tight embrace. "Kurt, that's amazing! Oh my god, I'm so excited for you! Did you say yes?"_

_"That's the thing," Kurt said, grinning. A little breathless. "I wanted to ask you first if you're okay with me leaving the country for a couple of days. You know, fiancé duty?" He shrugged with a hint of sass. He lowered his eyes to his gesturing hands. “I know we have our work cut out for us in rebuilding this relationship according to that fortune teller in Coney Island…”_

_"Kurt Elizabeth Hummel, I am absolutely fine with you going to Japan for a few days," Blaine declared with a kiss. “And I don’t think that fortune teller was real. She didn’t smell like Salonpas.”_

_"But won't you miss me?" Kurt teased._

_"I will of course. But wow..." Blaine held him at arms length and looked up at the man before him in awe. "Tokyo. That is really cool, Kurt."_

Kurt gulped down a mouthful of tea. He groaned, “I never imagined packing for Tokyo would be so stressful.”

“If it were Paris though.”

“Please,” Kurt snorted. He sat up to face Blaine and in all seriousness, stated, “I’ve been practicing how to pack for Paris since I was nine in case a rich aunt came to visit and whisked me away for a weekend of sparkling orange juice and Laduree. Dad got mad and thought I was going to run away from home.”

Blaine’s whole face crinkled in amusement and fondness. He also tried to stifle a giggle but ultimately failed.

“But Tokyo is… a whole different set of fashion rules,” Kurt moaned, flopping back down to the mattress and almost hitting the food tray. “Maybe I should I cancel. I’m not ready.”

“Kurt, you are not going to self-sabotage this opportunity just because you can’t choose which scarf to bring.” Blaine poked Kurt’s side. “Will you allow me to help?”

“No, I think I can do this on my own,” said Kurt. His prideful independence was surfacing and he believed, in that moment, that he should curate his travel clothes all by himself.

“Nuh-uh. I’m calling fiancé duty,” Blaine said. He brought his hand under Kurt’s chin and gently directed it closer to his own. He carefully weighed his words, hoping the message got across and cut through the deeper courses of Kurt’s body. “Let me help you.”

Kurt heard what Blaine meant. It wasn’t just about packing; it was a subtle permission to be by his side in the long run, that he’ll never be lonely again for the rest of his life.

“Okay,” Kurt breathed.

\-----------------------------------

Lima, Ohio

\-----------------------------------

Carole leaned on the shopping cart as she perused the cans of peaches on the shelf in front of her. It was impossible to get decent fresh produce at this time of year, but with this pregnancy all she wanted was peaches and strawberries, so canned was going to have to suffice. She made her choice and starting putting cans into her cart. Ten should be enough. For this week at least.

“Carole, is that you?” a light voice behind her asked. Carole turned around.

“Emma! How are you?” Carole greeted. “Oh my god, is that Daniel? Wow, he’s gotten so big.”

“He’s almost a year,” Emma replied, shifting him on her hip. “He’s been pulling himself up on the furniture so much though, I’m pretty sure he’ll be walking before his birthday.”

“Wow, they grow up so fast,” Carole mused, rubbing her large belly subconsciously and smiling nostalgically.

“They really do,” Emma agreed. “And how are you doing?” she added, nodding toward Carole’s belly.

“I’m good, actually,” Carole smiled again. “Physically it’s harder this time around, being older, you know.” Emma nodded. “But Burt is great, and I’ve been feeling pretty good actually.”

“That’s great!” Emma’s enthusiasm showed on her face as always.

“Actually, I have my amniocentesis and sonogram next week,” Carole confided. “We’ve been a little nervous, you know, because of my age. Everything looks normal so far, but I will be glad to have those tests done.”

“I know,” Emma nodded, switching Daniel to her other hip as he tried to pull her purse strap off her shoulder. “I was really nervous about so many things when I was pregnant, and getting the extra tests gave me a lot of comfort. Good luck!”

“Thanks.”

“It was grapefruit for me,” Emma added.

“What?”

Emma pointed to the pile of peach cans in Carole’s cart. “When I was pregnant with Daniel, all I wanted was grapefruit. Isn’t pregnancy weird?”

Carole laughed in that full-throated way of hers. “So weird, yes, so very weird.”

\-----------------------------------

Rachel’s new apartment, New York

\-----------------------------------

When Rachel was ten years old, she always loved afternoons. It would involve jumping down from the school bus, running up to her front door where one of her dads would be waiting for her with a glass of cold milk and freshly baked goods. After finishing her homework, either parent would take her hand and lead her to the family piano and they’d all sing a song together. If she didn’t know the song, they’d teach it to her anyway.

It was a peaceful and loving home. It was perhaps the best thing about being an only child; she didn’t have to share or compete for her father’s attention.

The Rachel of today stomped up the fifth flight of stairs with a bag of heavy groceries. There was a pack of kale hidden under her jacket’s secret pocket that she prayed none of her roommates would find and probably kill each other for.

She took her time in catching her breath in front of the door, mainly because she had to fish out her keyring and unlock all six locks on it. She sighed loudly before swinging the door open.

“Girls,” she announced. “They ran out of kale and--” Only five steps in and something heavy knocked on her head. A new record.

She didn’t realize at first that she had dropped all the groceries to clutch her head in pain. She searched for what hit her this time and saw it; a seven-inch platform boot.

“Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry, darling!” A blonde fifty-year European old woman with tattoos all over her arms was [hanging upside down](http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b55/AllieGatorUF/Website%20Photos/invertedV.jpg) a pole with her legs outstretched over her head. She had accidentally kicked Rachel on the head.

“Hi, Ayra,” Rachel mumbled, rubbing her head. Was this what a concussion felt like?

Said pair of killer boots landed on the floor and its wearer began picking up the fallen groceries. “I am so sorry, dear,” she said in a motherly tone. “I thought I’d use the alone time in the living room to practice.”

“Why, where’s Kaye and Anna?” Rachel said. She looked to Ayra for an answer as she stood back up. Rolling her eyes, Ayra motioned towards the farthest door in the room which was obviously locked with a lacy green panty hanging off the doorknob.

“Oh god, okay,” Rachel groaned, slightly shuddering from the lack of hygiene of it all. Taking the remaining grocery bags, she helped Ayra store them away. “When I moved out from my friends’ loft, I thought I’d never had to deal with people having sex in the next room ever again.”

“Young love,” Ayra said, smiling slightly.

“I wouldn’t mind so long as  some young love can keep it down while some of us are sleeping,” Rachel muttered as she took out canned goods from the bag. “One time when I was still living with my friends, I was just watching TV. Alone. Peacefully. And in came Kurt and Blaine so intoxicated, they fell on the couch and started making out. While I was still sitting on the couch!”

The older woman’s honking laughter filled the loft with a refreshing energy. “Really? Then what did you do?” she said, looking amused.

“I turned off the TV and left when Blaine started to take his pants off,“ said Rachel. Snorting reminiscently, she added, “They apologized a lot the next morning and bought me my favorite ice cream.”

“You talk a lot about this Kurt and Blaine. They married yet?”

“This May, they will be.”

Ayra nodded and smiled. “They sound like great people from all your stories ‘bout them, like saying sorry for disturbing you in more ways than one then buying you ice cream… Unlike some people.” She jerked her head towards the lock door. “Not many people have those kind of friends these days,” she commented. When Rachel glanced at her to nod, Ayra tilted her head. “Why’d you move out?”

Rachel lowered her eyes and slowly set down the soap box she was holding. Her mind quickly filled up with doubts and questions and fond memories. She sort of missed waking up to the smell of Blaine’s blueberry pancakes (“Morning, Rachel. Whipped cream and sprinkles or cream cheese and chopped nuts?”) and Kurt’s fashion tips before she walked out the door (“Rachel, lose the necklace and go for the silver bangles you got at the flea market last week.”). Had she really just left that all behind?

“I guess I wanted to try being completely on my own for a while. Living with my friends felt like everything would be fine, like how things were in high school. Like no matter how harsh the world was outside, nothing else mattered because I had my friends with me…” Her voice strengthened. “But compared to my friends Quinn and Tina and Mercedes, I feel like they’re so much more mature than me. I think I need to get lost in the woods first to find myself.

“Ayra, you’re older. You must’ve had a lot of experience. Do you think you I made the right choice?”

Putting the last pack of frozen meat away, Ayra smiled at the young girl before her.

“There’s no right or wrong choice in life, just choices that defines your true colors. But I think what you made was the brave choice,” she replied.

Rachel felt her throat constricting and her eyes tearing up. Jabbing a thumb towards her room, she took a couple of steps backwards. “I’m just going to put my stuff in my room and I’ll help make dinner,” she said.

Ayra nodded with a polite understanding. “Right on, love.”

Ignoring the pleasurable screaming coming from the other room, Rachel entered her bedroom, slammed the door, and quickly checked her jacket pocket if her pack of kale was still secure. It was.

Two beds were set against the opposite walls of the slightly cramped room with a closet standing tall at the foot of each bed. A large window that gave a decent view of the neighborhood was the only source of light at the moment.

Rachel shared her room with Ethel. Rachel wanted to hate her so badly but she was the closest thing to a normal roommate. Ethel made sure coffee was made before everyone woke up and enjoyed decorating the loft for holidays (hence why their ceiling still had glow-in-the-dark four-leaf clovers from three years ago). She was even thoughtful enough to wake an oversleeping Rachel an hour and a half before Rachel’s scheduled audition with breakfast ready on the table.

But it got deep on Rachel’s nerves when Ethel stuck strands of fallen hair on the shower wall and left it there. Or when she came back to the loft wearing one of Rachel’s favorite skirts without permission. Or when her pet ferret aptly named Draco hid shoes around the place.

There was a rumored sixth roommate. Her name was Kimmy and no one had ever seen her.

Rachel carefully laid her jacket on the bed and flopped down next to it. She allowed herself, in a minute of privacy, to fall apart. She did this sometimes when she felt exhausted sharing her energy with five other people in a space that she was supposed to call home.

 _Home,_ the word floated in her mind and into her soul. Quickly sitting up, she rummaged inside her cabinet for a shoebox she carried with her all the way from Lima, Ohio to New York City.

The shoebox itself was old. In its prime, it once held a pair of glittery tap shoes Rachel had purchased with her dad at a Lima mall. She ran a finger over the exposed cardboard corners and lifted the lid.

Show choir programs dating back to six years ago laid in a neat bundle under a small notebook. There was a printed photo of New Directions’ last competition together and a pink headband she loved to wear as a child. The most recent item added there was the star necklace she used to wear as a reminder to herself. Where it used to belong was currently occupied by her _Finn_ necklace.

 _“I think what you made was the brave choice,”_  Ayra’s words echoed in her head. And Rachel was going to make another one, the first of many.

She took off the Finn necklace around her neck, kissed his name one last time, and carefully placed it inside the box. Picking up the other necklace by the pendant, she stared at it before clasping it around her neck. She could have sworn the metal glinted brighter than before.

_“You are a star, Rachel,” her daddy said as he locked the new necklace from behind her neck. “Always believe that.” He kissed her forehead. “Good luck on your first day of high school. I’m sure it will be unforgettable.”_

_\---_

_“Do you know what being a star even means?” sophomore Rachel demanded at Quinn’s face, touching the pendant for self-assurance._

_“What, a big ball of hot gas? Then I’m sure you fully know well what it means,” Quinn said snippily._

_\---_

_“You are no longer my star, “ Sydney said dismissively. “Now get the hell out of my office and my industry, Ms. Berry.”_

She wiped away the tears. She had chosen independence by moving out of the comfort zone of her friends, and in a way, she was now free of expectations. Even if the impossibility happened that she was going to fail, Rachel swore that if she faded into the dark obscurity, no one is ever going to take the light behind her eyes.

As she put away her memory box, a furry white blur zipped by at the corner of her eye. Turning, it was a ferret clutching what New Yorkers nowadays consider a vital necessity. Next to quinoa, of course.

“Draco! Give back my kale this instant,” She practically growled. She made a move to grab the furry creature by the tail, but missed. It escaped through a cracked hole in the wall and into the living room. Rachel dashed out the door, determined not to be outrun by a ferret.

Draco the ferret scampered away with its treasure and wiggled its way through a small hole near the far end of the loft. As Rachel ran up to the door of the room it supposedly went in, she jerked her hand back when she realized she was about to touch the lacy green pantied-doorknob.

Behind the door that she was about to knock, she heard voices.

“Draco! Get out of he--Is that kale?”

“Praise the kale gods, our sexual union has been blessed!”

The top of the pole gave Ayra the best view to Rachel’s unique stream of curses and feet-stamping tantrum outside Kaye and Anna’s door.

\-----------------------------------

Brittany and Santana’s apartment, Los Angeles

\-----------------------------------

Brittany and Santana stood side by side, methodically folding item after item from the enormous pile of clean laundry on the bed in front of them. Brittany started [humming](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGVPV9_-YtA).

_Bum bum bum ba da bum pum.  Bum bum bum ba da bum pum._

Soon they were both singing the song.

 _Pressure pushing down on me_   
_Pressing down on you, no man ask for_

Brittany passed Santana a pile of shirts she had just folded. Santana carefully placed them in the drawer behind her before returning to the task of matching socks.

 _Watching some good friends screaming, "Let me out!"_   
_Tomorrow gets me higher pressure on people - people on streets_

Brittany picked up a pair of lacy panties, but instead of putting them away she glanced at Santana. Her girlfriend was completely focused on getting a blouse onto a hanger in a way that it wouldn’t wrinkle. With a gleam in her eye, Brittany carefully slipped her thumb into the waistband of the panties, and then pulled back on the elastic.

They hit Santana square on the face.

 _And love dares you to change our way of_   
_Caring about ourselves_

Santana froze, turning toward Brittany with a slow burn rising in her face. “What the hell, Britt?”

Brittany shrugged. “You hadn’t laughed in hours.”

“So you’re trying to make me laugh?”

Brittany nodded enthusiastically.

“Well, you did it wrong.”

“Oh?” Brittany’s tone had turned flirtatious.

“Yep.” Santana smirked, and Brittany giggled and danced to the side as the panties were shot back at her.

 _This is ourselves_   
_Under pressure_

Within moments a full on laundry fight had broken out. The girls chased one another around the room, throwing bras and skirts at each other amid peals of laughter.

Eventually Santana tackled the blonde, sprawling them both across the bed. Brittany leaned up and planted a sloppy kiss on her. “Mwah!”

Santana rolled off her and surveyed the room. “It looks like a tornado blew through here.”

“There aren’t tornados in California, Santana,” Brittany pointed out primly. “But you did make a mess.”

“I made a mess?” Santana’s eyebrow was up. “You’re blaming this on me? You started it!”

“You hadn’t laughed all day,” Brittany reminded her. “I wanted to fix that.”

Santana curled up into her sweetheart’s arms. “Yeah, I’ve been stressed a lot lately.”

“You’ve been gone a lot too,” Brittany added, stroking the other girl’s long dark hair. “I miss you.”

“It’s good to spend some time together, just hanging out,” Santana mused. “Remember in high school, after Cheerios practice, how we used to go to Breadstix and just talk?”

_Brittany slid into the booth bench next to Santana._

_“There’s no one on the other side,” Santana pointed out._

_“I know, but I’d rather sit by you,” Brittany smiled, slipping her hand into the other girl’s. Santana’s responding smile was small, but it was there._

_“I think Sue is onto something with adding flames to the latest routine,” Brittany said conversationally as they perused the menus. They both had them memorized, but they always looked anyway._

_“I don’t know, I’m moderately concerned about singeing an eyebrow when I jump through the hoop.”_

_“Or your hair,” Brittany pointed out nonchalantly. “Your high pony would turn black.”_

_“Britt, it’s already black,” Santana scrunched up her face. As much as she adored Brittany, there were definitely moments when she couldn’t figure out what went through the blonde’s head._

_“Oh, right, well my high pony would turn black,” Brittany said with certainty._

_“Or be gone?” Santana asked with a raised brow._

_“Oh that would be awful.” Brittany looked horrified._

_“It’s ok, don’t worry about it,” Santana patted the other girl’s hand comfortingly. “Next week she will have changed her mind and we’ll be back to confetti canons and strobe lights.”_

_Brittany nodded obediently. “Right.”_

_Santana looked back at the menu. “Want to split a milkshake?”_

_“Strawberry?”_

_Santana rolled her eyes. “Sure, strawberry.”_

_“And tonight can we go to my house and paint our nails? Because I chipped one today, and I want to do rainbows and glitter this time anyway.”_

_Santana’s smile was more genuine this time. “Sure, you do rainbows and glitter. I’ll just do glitter.”_

“I liked that,” Brittany agreed. “We should find a place here, and make a point of going there on a regular basis. Maybe once a week.”

“Like a date night?”

“Yeah,” Brittany nodded, but since they were both still laying on the bed it just made her hair start frizzing with static.

“I’d like that,” Santana murmured. “I’m so glad you’re so smart.”

\-----------------------------------

Sam’s room, Lima Ohio

\-----------------------------------

**Sam to Brittany: I need your help with something**

**Brittany to Sam: As a fellow blonde I am always ready to help**

Sam rolled his eyes.

**Sam: On Friday you have to make sure that Mercedes stays home all evening**

**Brittany: Why?**

**Sam: because I am going to visit her**

**Brittany: but you don’t live here**

**Sam: I’m flying over**

**Brittany: do you have wings now?**

**Sam: on a plane**

**Brittany: I want wings. Wings would be amazing.**

**Sam: It’s a surprise, you can’t tell Mercedes**

**Brittany: Can’t tell her what?**

**Sam: that I’m coming to visit her**

**Brittany: ok**

**Sam: so can you make sure she stays home on Friday?**

**Brittany: yes**

**Brittany: can I tell Santana?**

**Brittany: we have a no secrets rule now**

**Brittany: I’m not sure if it applies to other people’s secrets**

**Sam: you can tell Santana but neither of you can tell Mercedes**

**Brittany: ok**

**Sam: thank you**

**Brittany: ok**

\---

**Santana to Sam: it’s sickening how adorable and in love you are**

**Santana: Don’t worry, we got your back.**

**Sam to Santana: thanks**

\-----------------------------------

New York

\-----------------------------------

“Take care, alright?” Blaine murmured in Kurt’s ear as he didn’t just let go of the embrace yet. “And have fun while you’re there.”

They were standing outside the airport. Kurt’s coworkers were waving at him to come along already. But not just yet, Kurt thought. This trip could transform him. Who knew what sort of person he’d be the next time he ran into Blaine’s arms.

“You’ll just be home, right?” Kurt said, finally letting go to stare into Blaine’s eyes. “And-and you know how to take care of the washing, right? Or what sort of tea to make Rachel if she drops by to visit?”

Blaine’s eyes crinkled lovingly and he laughed. As the morning rays began to create shadows and highlights on his face, Kurt’s breath was swept away. His Blaine had never looked so beautiful and for a moment there, he could not believe he was going to go five days without seeing his smile up close.

“I’ll miss you, I love you,” One last kiss as Kurt picked up his bags. “And I have to go. Bye, Blaine!”

Blaine waved goodbye as Kurt ran to catch up with his colleagues.

Five days. They could totally do this.

 _[You say love is what you put into it](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kz9UBfXmXsM) You say that I’m losing my will_   
_Don’t you know that you’re all that I think about You make up a half of the whole_

07:00 Blaine woke up the next morning and immediately   
checked his phone for any messages. A sleepy smile   
spread across his face as Kurt’s selfie with a huge   
bowl of steaming hot ramen filled his screen. The text   
read, It’s so cold! Miss you already!

20:00 Kurt shoved his hands inside his pocket and ignored   
the rest of his colleagues’ post-dinner chatter. He was in Tokyo!   
That young boy from Lima, Ohio was now walking the streets   
of one of the most fashionable cities in the world. The mix of  
bright LED lights against the night and the exotic culture in general   
overwhelmed his senses. He snapped a few photos for Blaine   
and Facebook before returning to the conversation.

_Don’t you know that I spend all my nights counting backwards the days ‘til I’m home_

16:32 The rest of the day was uneventful. Between   
classes, and during, Blaine would check his phone,   
hoping a new picture or a text would appear. Nothing yet.

He wondered how much Kurt must be loving it there. A   
city so different from New York filled with lights and sweets   
and trendy civilians. Okay so maybe not very different from   
New York. But it was a city where he wasn’t in it.

05:32 Vogue USA worked tirelessly with their Japanese   
counterparts as both parties collaborated on deciding   
quickly which pieces to feature in the upcoming September   
issue. Kurt tried to survive on coffee (he later learned that the   
Japanese prefers their flavors mild) and energy drinks.  
He cursed his jet lag for keeping him up at odd times of the   
night until he finally gave in and crashed the moment he got   
to his hotel room. Hours later, he would be very grateful for   
the Japanese’s attention to the smallest of details, mainly the   
fragrant relaxing scent his pillow gave off.

Vaguely he remembered his high school days of spraying   
his pillow with Blaine’s cologne before going to sleep   
so he’d feel less alone. It was a good thing he had brought   
a travel-sized bottle of it with him.

_If only New York wasn’t so far away_

18:14 The next evening, Blaine tried to ignore   
Dani and Elliott’s video invitation to go hang out   
with them instead of moping around the loft. He   
tried to play off the excuse that he was busy writing   
music with Artie. Thirty minutes later, they were   
at his loft door and Dani hauled him in a fireman’s carry.

“Sorry Blainers, we texted Artie and he said he   
wasn’t with you,” Elliott said as they all marched   
down the building. Seeing Blaine’s disapproval of   
this manhandling, he added in a much kinder tone,   
“Just because Kurt isn’t around doesn’t mean you   
can’t go out and have fun. There is nothing to feel   
guilty about.”

“So what are we doing tonight?” Blaine grumbled.

“Probably the same thing Kurt would be doing in Japan   
right now.”

07:14 The team winded down from their last meeting at   
Harajuku by cramming all eight of them in a small music   
lounge where the drinks flowed, karaoke was endless, and   
their friendly Japanese host very accommodating. They   
did not realize how time flew until they caught their host   
snoring by the drinks bar.

Kurt, rather drunk, was still singing.

 _I’d rather be there next to you_   
_Promise you’ll wait for me, wait for me, wait ‘til I’m home_

He smiled wistfully. Just two more days left in this great   
city. Blaine would like it here. Everyone was so polite,   
quiet, and friendly, just like Blaine.

_If only New York wasn’t so far away_

13:47 It was getting better. Blaine spotted a  
scarf Kurt had left out by the hamper and wore it   
for the day. The sweet musky scent brought   
him back to afternoons of biscotti crumbs on   
his fingers and faint Brian Culbertson music playing   
in the background as he watched Kurt read the   
complimentary cafe newspaper.  
  


Blaine realized that his worrying of Kurt falling in love   
with an exotic city so far away from New York was   
irrational and frankly ridiculous. He couldn’t wait to pick   
him up at the airport two days from now.

02:47 Despite the Business Class seats, Kurt could not get fully   
comfortable. How does one sleep while experiencing the tug of   
war his heart was playing? Screw San Francisco, Kurt left his   
heart in Ginza. Yet he knew he was going home where he   
belonged. He wasn’t talking about the four walls of his loft or the   
beautiful chaos that was New York. No, it was the warmth of a   
pair of arms he longed for during the coldest nights in Japan.

18:22 Blaine could not get his nerves to settle down   
as he waited outside the arrivals gate. How would this   
out-of-the-country trip change his Kurt? Blaine brought   
his Margaret Thatcher stuffed toy puppy just in case.

18:30 Kurt rolled his luggage impatiently, craning his   
neck for any sight of black hair and a Brooks Brother   
cardigan.

18:35 He should be out by now.

18:36 He palmed his phone, ready to call. Until--

18: 36 “KURT!”

18:36 “BLAINE!”

_When you’re scared and alone just know that I’m already home_

That idea of airports seeing more sincere kisses and hugs than anywhere else in the world rang louder in truth at this moment. For some, it was a welcome to home. Others was the beginning of a new journey. For Kurt and Blaine, it was both.

Kurt could hear the roar of joy his heart was exploding with as he ran to embrace his fiancé. All it took was the feel of Blaine close to him to piece it back together.

“Welcome home, sweetheart,” Blaine said against Kurt’s chest.

\-----------------------------------

Mercedes’ Apartment, Los Angeles

\-----------------------------------

Mercedes set the bowl of popcorn on the coffee table so that she could tuck the blanket snugly around her feet as she sat on the couch. Normally she would be on the phone or video chatting with Sam at this time of night, but she’d known for more than a week that he wouldn’t be able to talk tonight. Her plans for a cozy girls night in with munchies and a chick flick were not turning out quite as exciting as she had planned though. Brittany had said that she and Santana had other plans, although they wouldn’t say what they were (which was weird for Brittany). She had encouraged her to stay home though, insisting that it was good to put her feet up and take a night off.

“I take plenty of nights off, I don’t know what she was talking about,” Mercedes grumbled as she balanced the popcorn bowl in her lap and started searching for the remote control. After a few minutes it turned up (tucked inside the blanket with her), and after re-tucking everything she relaxed into the cushions and pressed play.

Hardly ten minutes into the movie there was a knock at her door.

“Seriously?” she said aloud. Mercedes wasn’t really in the mood for unexpected company. Especially on a Friday night when she couldn’t be with who she wanted to be with. With a sigh she stopped the movie, set the popcorn on the table again, and untucked the blanket. With a little shiver as her bare feet hit the floor before finding her slippers, she padded over to the front door. She unlocked the chain and pulled it open.

Her eyes flew wide and she didn’t even have time to say anything before Sam’s long arm were around her and lifting her into the air. When he set her back on the floor he leaned down and kissed her long and hard.

“Hey baby,” he grinned, eyes twinkling. “I hope you don’t mind that I stretched the truth a little about why I couldn’t call tonight, but the look on your face when you opened the door just now was worth it.”

Mercedes was still reeling from the surprise and trying to catch her breath from his greeting. She tried to make a stern face at him but it melted into an affectionate smile almost immediately. “Well, I can’t condone lying, but I am definitely happy to see you. So how about your punishment is having to cuddle with me on the couch and watch Princess Diaries?”

“Deal,” he said, pulling her to the couch and into his lap.

\-----------------------------------

The Spotlight Diner, New York City

\-----------------------------------

Kurt finished wiping the last table, set the rag behind the counter, and then went and joined Elliott in a booth for his fifteen minute break.

“Sorry, this is probably weird to hang out with me at my work,” Kurt apologized.

Elliott laughed. “Well, I did come stalk you at your work when we first met,” he noted. “Besides, you’re never available anywhere else Mr. Work-a-holic. And if you are available, you just _so_ happen to be in Tow-kee-yow.”

“I know,” Kurt concurred, smiling at the mention of his recent trip.

“So, what did you want to talk to me about?” Elliott asked. “You said it was important.”

“Yeah,” Kurt nodded. “Well, you remember how my step--my brother died last year? It was right before we met, but I know I’ve talked about him, and you’ve probably seen pictures at my apartment.”

Elliott nodded.

“Well, now that we’re really in the nitty gritty of wedding planning, it’s hitting me like a load of bricks that he’s not here to be my best man. And it’s just tearing me apart.”

\---

“That’s the thing, Mike,” Blaine explained as they walked together down the crowded sidewalk. “I mean, obviously Cooper is my brother so that should count for something, but I’m just not that close to him and I never have been.”

Mike nodded sagely, although the rest of his body moved very little, in contrast to Blaine’s wildly gesturing hands.

“And right before I proposed to Kurt, I had told Sam that I wanted him to be my best man, because we were best friends all that year, you know?”

\---

“So I don’t want to just pretend that Finn was never part of my wedding plans, because he really was,” Kurt continued.

“But now he’s not here and you have to come up with a new plan,” Elliott murmured.

“Exactly. And I have no idea what.”

\---

“Has Kurt picked his best man yet?” Mike asked curiously.

“No, he’s struggling with that because he and Finn had always planned to be each other’s best man,” Blaine explained. Then he sighed. “Am I a bad brother if I am considering not having my brother for my best man? Kurt would do anything to have his brother back, and here’s me not appreciating what I have.”

“Hey there,” Mike said, putting an arm around his friend’s shoulder. “Your history and relationship with Cooper is completely different from Kurt’s with Finn. Completely. You can’t compare your situations.”

\---

“My other best friends are Blaine--”

“Obviously not available to be your best man,” Elliott chuckled.

“Right!” Kurt grinned. “And Rachel and Mercedes. I’ve been close to both of them since before I even knew Blaine. The three of us used to have the best sleepovers,” he added nostalgically. “Cedes was the first one I told when Blaine kissed me the first time…”

“So maybe that’s your answer,” Elliott suggested.

“Hi guys!” Blaine’s voice carried across the diner as he and Mike came through the door. Elliott waved at the newcomers, and scooted over the the booth so that they could sit down too.

“I think Elliott may have just had a brilliant idea, Blaine,” Kurt announced.

“I think Mike did too,” Blaine grinned.

“Oh, well you first!”

“Well,” Blaine explained, “since we’re a gay couple, our wedding is already not exactly traditional, right?”

“Yeah…” Kurt nodded, chuckling inwardly at the fact that he and Blaine had obviously been on the same wavelength this afternoon.

“Well, if we’re not a traditional couple, and it’s not a traditional wedding, then why should we be restricted to traditional attendants?”

“What are you suggesting?”

“I want both Cooper and Sam as best men,” Blaine concluded.

“Really?” Kurt squinted at him.

“Really.”

“That’s perfect!”

“What?” It was Blaine’s turn to look confused.

“I was just deciding that I want Mercedes and Rachel as mine,” Kurt explained.

“Best men?” Mike raised an eyebrow at them.

“Best maids,” Elliott whispered loudly, leaning into Mike’s ear.

“Oh, right, ok,” Mike nodded.

“Sam, Cooper, Mercedes, Rachel...this could work!” Blaine exclaimed with a grin. “This could really work!”

“I don’t know where everyone would stand,” Kurt went on, his mind already starting to fret over logistics and details. “But those are nice even numbers for walking down the aisle.”

“And Sam and Mercedes are back together now,” Mike reminded everyone.

Kurt snickered, and everyone stared at him. Blaine caught his eye and then snorted. “Oh no, Kurt. Just no!”

“What?” Elliott asked, confused. He knew several of their friends pretty well, but he had a feeling he was missing something here.

“Cooper…” Kurt wheezed, unable to finish his sentence because he was breathless with laughter.

“Cooper?” Elliott prompted.

Understanding spread across Mike’s face and he began to shake in silent chuckles as well.

“What about Cooper?!” Elliott repeated.

Blaine got control of himself enough to explain. “If we pair Cooper and Rachel to walk down the aisle, he’s going to think it’s a date.”

“But Rachel’s not…” Elliott asked, uncertainly.

“No, she’s not interested,” Blaine assured him. “I mean, I don’t think so…” he trailed off, looking at Kurt. Kurt had crumpled into another round of laughter, but he shook his head and shrugged helplessly.

Suddenly Kurt stopped cold. “Do you think she...I mean, will Rachel be able to handle it, do you think?”

“What?” The others weren’t following what he was implying.

Kurt turned toward Blaine and took his hand. “She was going to marry Finn. I’m having a hard time with him not being part of this, but will Rachel be able to handle it? Maybe I shouldn’t ask her…”

“Oh,” Blaine mused, “I hadn’t thought about that…”

“You know,” Elliott said, “I think most people can handle more than we give them credit for. We all have lost someone or something precious to us, but sooner or later we all move on too. Ask her if she wants to do it. If she says no, fine. But don’t make assumptions about what she can or can’t handle.” He flashed a crooked smile before leaping out of the booth and heading for the stage. Almost none of the patrons even looked his way, since impromptu performances were par for the course at the Spotlight Diner.

Elliott grabbed a microphone and [went for it](http://youtu.be/rC6XAIWawZ4?t=7s).

 _It started off so well_   
_How I loved you,_   
_How I cried....._

Blaine reached out and took Kurt's hand. Kurt smiled at him before turning back to watch Elliott perform. Blaine sighed contentedly as he thought over the fact that they had each come up with the same idea (of having two attendants) at the same time. Definitely soulmates.

 _Was it all wasted_   
_All that love?....._

Blaine’s grip on Kurt’s hand tightened, and Kurt squeezed back. Kurt knew that love was never wasted, even when it brought pain as well as joy. He was grateful for all the happy memories he had to hold on to, and he was going to try to not be too resentful of the fact that there wouldn’t be more to make in the future.

 _Save me Save me Save me_   
_I can't face this life alone_

Kurt had his dad, and Carole, and he had friends like Mercedes and Rachel and Elliot. Most of all, he had Blaine. He knew he would never have to face life alone. And more than that, he knew that as long as he was around, he would make sure that none of them would have to face it alone either.  
  


\-----------------------------------

New York City, later that night

\-----------------------------------

Kurt glanced at his phone after work and saw that he had two new voicemail messages. He pressed the button to listen to them as he walked home.

_Hi Kurt, it’s Carole, I just wanted to let you know that we got the amniocentesis today. Um, I don’t know what you know about that, but it tests the baby’s chromosomes… anyway, everything was normal. I know you’ve been worried about me and the baby, and I wanted to let you know as soon as we got the news. We’ll talk to you on Friday like normal, but I figured this shouldn’t wait. Take care, we love you. Bye._

_BEEP_

_Hey bud, it’s dad. I know Carole called you like ten seconds ago, but I told her she had to let me tell you this part. When they do the amnio-cento-thingie they do a sonogram too, so we got to see, and kiddo, I am so excited! I mean, I’ve said all along that I will be totally happy with a boy or a girl, because I am going to love my kid no matter what. Just like I love you no matter what. But then I was kinda gettin’ nervous, even though I wouldn’t admit it to you or Carole or anybody because you had enough to deal with already...yeah, Carole, I was getting to it! Anyway, Kurt, I wanted to tell you that today we found out that the baby is a girl!_

\-----------------------------------

Mercedes’s Apartment, Los Angeles

\-----------------------------------

Mercedes snuggled into the warmth of Sam’s side as they sat on the couch. “I’m so glad you’re here,” she murmured.

He kissed the top of her head. “Me too.”

“I missed you so much,” she confessed. “And it’s only been a few weeks since we got together. It’s really hard doing this long distance thing.”

“I miss you too,” Sam agreed. “I don’t want to do this long distance thing.”

“What?”

“I said I don’t want to do the long distance thing.”

“What are you saying?” she asked carefully. He’d spent months trying to convince her to get back together, surely he wasn’t going to break up with her now? He’d been willing to do long distance before. Why wasn’t he now?

“I’m saying that I don’t want to be apart from you. I want us to be in the same place,” he explained.

Oh! “I can’t go back to Lima, Sam,” Mercedes reminded him. “I have a career here. And I don’t want to go back either. I don’t belong in Lima anymore…”

“I know you don’t,” Sam agreed, a smile playing at the edges of his lips. “And you shouldn’t. Which is why I’ve decided to move out here.”

“Wait, what? When?” she asked automatically, still processing what she had just heard.

“Well, I have a few things to tie up in Lima,” Sam explained. “I need to finish a few more Accidental Heroes strips for the Lima Herald to complete my contract with them, but I think I can submit to them digitally after that.” She nodded. Good, he wasn’t going to give that up just to be with her.

“And I already talked to Burt about finding someone new at the tire store. He’s been great to give me a job for these last few months, and he said he’s sad to see me go, but when I told him why I was leaving he just put his hand on my shoulder and said ‘son, go get her.’”

Mercedes blushed at the thought of even Burt being in on getting her and Sam together.

“Sooo, do you have any other specifics figured out?” she asked coyly.

“Like what?”

“Where are you going to live, Sam?” she teased. She knew where she wanted him to live, but she didn’t want to assume.

“Um, with you? I mean if that’s ok. I guess I should have asked first, huh. Crap, this is not going how I pictured it.” He scratched his head and stared at his feet.

Mercedes covered her mouth with her hand as she giggled. “No, yes, I mean, it’s fine. Yes, you can live with me. I would like that.”

“Well, I mean, we did it before in New York, and it worked fine there.”

“Yes, it did.”

“We even shared a room there,” he reminded her.

“We’ll have to again,” she reminded him with a gesture behind herself. “This is a studio apartment, you dork!”

Sam beamed, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her closer. “Well I’m glad that’s settled for now,” he said. “I think this is all going to be a lot simpler when we’re married.”

Mercedes sat up abruptly. “Wait, did you just propose to me?”

“No,” Sam started, then his eyes narrowed and he looked at her carefully. “I mean, well, did you want me to?”

Mercedes shook her head rapidly. “I’m not ready for that yet, Sam”

He grinned. “You said ‘yet.’”

She shoved him in the shoulder and snuggled back in.

\-----------------------------------

The Loft, New York City, Monday night

\-----------------------------------

Rachel had lingered after the potluck dinner tonight. Artie and Mike had left almost an hour ago, but she had stayed in the comfortable space to avoid returning to the madhouse where she now lived.

“Hey Rachel,” Kurt slid onto the couch next to her.

“I know, I don’t live here anymore. Sorry, I’ll go.” She started to get up but Kurt grabbed her wrist and held her back.

“No, that’s not what I wanted to talk to you about actually.”

“Oh!” She looked at him curiously, angling herself on the couch so that she could face him better. “What is it then?”

“Rachel, I have something to ask you. And I need you to answer honestly, ok?”

“Ok? It’s not about a song is it? Because I’m shocked to admit this, but I’m really not in the mood right now.”

Kurt laughed. “No, not about a song.” He smiled at her, adjusting his collar and shifting in his seat. “I, um, well, I’m just going to say it.”

She nodded encouragingly.

“Blaine and I are choosing our wedding attendants, and I’d like you to be one of my best maids.” Whew, there, he’d said it.

“What?” Rachel looked confused.

“Well, you’re one of my best friends, and I want you to be in the wedding party,” he repeated.

“Did you say ‘best maid’?”

“Yeeeaaaah…” he sat back and waited for it to sink in.

“Wow, Kurt, I… wow.” He watched as understanding spread across her face, and then tears came to her eyes. “I’m one of your best friends? Like, enough that you want me to be in your wedding?”

“Yes,” he confirmed with a nod. “I want you to be in my wedding. Full disclosure: you’re not the only one. I’ve asked Mercedes too. I want you both standing there with me.”

“Wow,” she said again.

“Are you ok?” he asked with concern.

“Kurt, I’m so honored, and flattered, and, just, thank you!” Rachel surged forward, wrapping her arms around his neck. He caught her and returned the embrace.

“So I’ll take that as a yes?”

“Yes, yes, absolutely!” Rachel hesitated, then sat back, looking at him oddly. “Why did you say you needed me to be honest? Why would I not be honest with you about this?”

Blaine had been hovering in the corner of the room, and now he came over and sat on the chair across from them. “Kurt was worried that it might be hard for you to be up in front of everyone at a wedding because of Finn.”

“Oh,” she went silent for a few moments. “Because the last time I was at a wedding was one of the last times I saw him. And the time before that when I was at a wedding I was supposed to be marrying him.”

“And when my dad married his mom, and you were there with him then too,” Kurt added.

She looked back and forth between them. “You’re right, weddings do remind me of Finn. I hadn’t thought about that.”

“I do want you to be one of my best maids, Rachel,” Kurt said gently. “But if it’s going to be too painful I understand.”

“No, no. I don’t think it will be.” Rachel looked thoughtful. She lightly touched the star pendant around her neck. “I mean, I miss him, but this wedding is all about you guys. I want to be there with you for this.”

Kurt pulled her in for another hug. “Yay! I’m so glad!” He left his hand on her back as they separated, rubbing up and down as he continued. “You know, Rachel, you and I were close to him in different ways, but I still miss him too. All the time. It’s been really hard planning this wedding and knowing that he won’t be part of it. He and I always talked about that.”

“I know,” she nodded.

“Grieving can take a long time, and everyone goes through it in their own way and on their own timetable,” Blaine supplied. “And it’s not just the shock-denial-anger-acceptance cycle or whatever that people talk about. Sometimes people grieve in totally different ways.”

“I got clingy,” Kurt offered, glancing at Blaine, who nodded. “And closed off at the same time. I shut people out. I did that for years after my mom died too. When you lose someone it feels scary to let someone else in.” He reached for Blaine’s hand and squeezed it. “I’m lucky I had someone who insisted on pushing his way in anyway.” Blaine smiled slightly and his hearteyes bloomed. “I’m not sure what I would have done without him, honestly,” Kurt admitted. “I tried to be there for you too, Rachel,” he added.

“We all did,” Blaine agreed.

“But I don’t know if we really were enough,” Kurt finished. “I know you’ve had a really rough year and a half.”

“I have made a lot of rash decisions, haven’t I,” Rachel reflected. “I think you might be on to something, actually. When Finn was alive, I always knew I was going to end up back with him. Whatever else I might do or wherever else I might go, I knew that eventually I would be with Finn.” She sniffed loudly and swiped at her eye, trying not to cry. “And then he wasn’t there anymore and I felt lost. I was floundering around basically. I didn’t have a direction.”

Kurt kept rubbing at her back, and Blaine winnowed his way in beside her other side and held her hand.

“You had a great direction,” Kurt said gently. “You were at NYADA, you were the lead in Funny Girl. You had a million open doors in front of you.”

She nodded. “But not the one I needed the most. And because of it I threw the others away in my wild flailing as I tried to find something new to hold on to.”

“You know,” Blaine pointed out, “making rash decisions isn’t a mortal sin.”

“Grieving over the love of your life is a pretty good excuse for doing a few rash things,” Kurt agreed.

“I kind of ruined everything I had going for me, didn’t I?” Rachel asked sadly.

“I wouldn’t say that,” Blaine comforted her, squeezing her hand. “You have had to make some changes in your plans because of decisions you made. But it’s not ruined.”

“They loved you at The Blue,” Kurt reminded her. “You’re on a different path than you were before, but you’re going to be ok.”

Rachel looked back and forth between them. “What did I ever do to deserve you two?” she asked gratefully. “You take such good care of me.”

“That’s what friends are for, Rachel.” Kurt and Blaine met each other’s eyes and [broke into song.](https://youtu.be/Hk63xR5qWgo?t=7s)

 _Empty spaces - what are we living for_   
_Abandoned places - I guess we know the score_   
_On and on, does anybody know what we are looking for…_

Rachel thought about the empty space inside her, and how much it had affected so many of her actions over the last year and a half. She was frustrated with herself for some of them, but Kurt and Blaine were right: she had been grieving. Maybe she still was in fact. And she should give herself a little slack for that. She didn’t have to have everything figured out, and she didn’t have to beat herself up for what she’d done in the past. Right now, she just needed to get her bearings where she was, and go from there.

She wiped her eyes one last time and cleared her throat. “I can do this!” she announced as she put on her performance smile and rose to her feet.

 _The show must go on, yeah, inside my heart is breaking_   
_My make-up may be flaking but my smile still stays on_

Kurt and Blaine stood, carried by the energy of the song. They sang from a place of experience as well as a place of hope and support for her. They had grieved and they had struggled, but they were still here too.

 _I guess I'm learning, I must be warmer now_   
_I'll soon be turning round the corner now_

They all joined hands in a circle around the coffee table as they reached the finale of the song and sang together.

 _On with, on with_   
_The show - the show must go on_

“Who else is in the wedding party?” Rachel asked as she headed for the door.

“You and Mercedes, on my side, and Sam and Cooper on Blaine’s.”

Rachel thought for a moment. “Cooper’s going to hit on me, isn’t he.”

Kurt and Blaine exchanged a knowing glance. “Probably.”

Rachel giggled. “I can deal with it. After all Kurt, if you’re designing my dress, I know it’s going to be fabulous. And a girl should never pass up an opportunity to wear a fabulous dress.”

Kurt and Blaine laughed as Rachel sashayed out the door.

\-----------------------------------

Brittany and Santana’s apartment, Los Angeles

\-----------------------------------

Brittany rounded the corner with her usual bouncy lilt and came to an abrupt and unbalanced halt when she saw Santana’s face.

“Yes mom, I understand. You’re saying there’s probably not much time.” Santana’s knuckles were white where she was clutching the phone to her ear.

Brittany had no idea what was going on, but Santana was obviously not ok, so she moved beside her girlfriend and slid her arms around her, resting her chin on the shorter woman’s shoulder.

“Ok, yes, I will be there tomorrow or the day after at the latest.” Santana slowly lowered the phone, sliding her thumb across it until she found the red button to end the call.

“What happened?” Brittany took Santana’s hand in her own and squeezed it.

Santana stared straight ahead.

“Where are you going?” Brittany tried again.

“Remember how my Abuela hasn’t answered my calls or spoken to me at family events for three years, ever since I came out to her?” Santana asked.

“Yeah…”

“She’s in the hospital now.” Santana turned to face Brittany. “She has cancer and they didn’t find it until it was too late to do anything. She doesn’t have long to live, and this is my last chance to try to make up with her.”

“She was awful to you Santana, you’ve tried to reach out to her several times and she’s always pushed you away or shunned you,” Brittany pointed out. “You aren’t obligated to do this.”

“I want to do this,” Santana countered. “Abuela is still part of my family. There are not a lot of people in the world who like me, and I should do everything I can to hold on to the few who do.”

“She doesn’t act like she likes you.”

“I know,” Santana smiled sadly. “But she’s still family. Which is why I still have to try.” She took a deep breath and squared her shoulders. “The show must go on!”

 

======================================================

[](http://de.tinypic.com?ref=28jec8o)

Thank you for reading GSF! More stills for this episode will be available soon!

[ It would be so cool if you would help us out and rec this fic on your blog.](http://gleeseasonfix.tumblr.com/post/114349157851/click-here-to-read-episode-12-written-by)

 

 

 


	13. Punching a Dream

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After receiving the sad news of her Abuela's health condition, Santana makes a trip back home to Lima to make peace with her. Brittany stays back at home with her cat in LA and works towards her dancing career with a little help from Mercedes. Sam, meanwhile, feels stuck in Lima and tries to get his mind off by checking out the newest show the Vibratos are working on. In New York City, Rachel is still running around the city on the hunt of a less crowded apartment to live in, while Kurt and Blaine's loft is full of flowers, flowers, flowers...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written by [ to-write-is-to-bleed ](http://to-write-is-to-bleed.tumblr.com/), [ Soofreakincharmy ](http://soofreakincharmy.tumblr.com) and [ gingerfic ](http://archiveofourown.org/users/gingerfic/pseuds/gingerfic)  
> Assistant writing: [ Wowbright ](http://archiveofourown.org/users/wowbright/pseuds/wowbright)  
> Beta by: [ HKvoyage ](http://hkvoyage.tumblr.com) and [ alwaysfallingforanidea ](http://alwaysfallingforanidea.tumblr.com/)
> 
> Glee Season Fix (“GSF”) was written independently of spoilers about Glee Season 6. If songs or plots overlap, it’s due to coincidence or nature of the storylines that need resolution. If references pop up, we excuse ourselves for not being able to hold back.
> 
> Like on the show, GSF also includes songs and performances. There are links to full versions of each song, as well as a few pieces of lyrics quoted in the scene. We hope you will enjoy listening as well as reading, but be aware that the written version is shortened, whereas the audio versions are the full songs.

_Here’s what you missed on Glee Season Fix:_

_When Santana came out to her abuela as a lesbian, her abuela didn’t accept her. Like at all. They were estranged for several years until abuela got really sick so Santana came to see her one last time and try to fix the relationship because she knew it was going to be her last chance._

_Still on the topic of closing distances, Sam and Mercedes are having their try at this “long distance relationship” that was all the rage between the glee kids a while back and man it’s hard!_

_However, no one is struggling more than Rachel (we’re surprised as well) who has many roommates and some of them like their private sexy times even more than Kurt and Blaine (still very very surprised)._

_Speaking of Kurt and Blaine, their relationship may not be silky smooth yet, but the wrinkles are being ironed as both of them mature and learn how to deal with their lives (as much as one can in their 20s)._

_After years of owning her cat, Britt is still learning how her cat functions, and shows her progress on an online vlog._

_And that’s what you missed on Glee!_

 

January 2015

\-----------------------------------

Lima, Ohio

\-----------------------------------

“Santana, are you sure all the socks are organized by color?”

“Yes Mom,” Santana replied, rolling her eyes.

“Don’t ‘yes Mom’ me, miss. This house has been a mess since your abuela was hospitalized. Your dad and I haven’t spent much time here but houses have a tendency for chaos,” her mom kept talking as she dusted a shelf. “Can you sort those rags over these? I’m sure we don’t need them all and we can give away some.”

“Sure,” Santana made sure her voice conveyed her opinion on the boring task.

It was quite the sizeable pile and a singular collection of fabric of all shapes and colors that Santana regarded with a scowl of mild disgust. Lord knew when the last time anything on that pile was washed. Picking up the various pieces of cloth with the tips of her long nails, Santana was making two smaller piles, one of rags torn beyond repair that needed to be redirected to the closest garbage bin, and one of decentish ones that they could keep or give away.

Though she was occupied with the task, Santana couldn’t stop herself from thinking about her abuela. They had parted with harsh words, back in her senior year, and she had finally come to accept that it was not her fault. She was who she was and her sexuality was just another part of her. If her abuela couldn’t accept it then she didn’t accept Santana and Santana didn’t need that negativity in her life.

Lost in thought, she almost didn’t notice what she picked up: the quilt her abuela had sewn for her when she was a baby. She brought it to her face and inhaled. It still smelled faintly of her childhood, of her abuela and recently baked cakes. Santana began to cry. Her youth had been far from perfect, but that didn’t stop her from remembering it fondly.

“Santana, how much longer will you take with that pile,” her mom asked while busy with dusting.

“Santana,” her mom lifted her eyes from what she was doing and she caught sight of what was happening.

“Oh, darling what’s wrong?”

Santana turned into her mother’s shoulder and hugged her as she let out a sob. “It’s just… I was okay with the hostility, and the cold shoulder, and the mean glares as if I wronged her, but I miss her.”

Santana’s mom looked her in the eyes, “Then try to make things right with her!”

“I want to, but I'm scared! That's why I came, but now that I'm here I don't know what to say to her. Every time she looks at me it looks like she wants to throw up. I disgust her and I’m an embarrassment to her. ‘Oh the sin, the scandal,’ all because I love girls! Like my life wasn’t scandalous or sinful _at all_ before coming out, oh no, the ultimate shame is having a lesbian granddaughter!”

“Maybe she hasn’t been the most accepting person ever but you haven’t talked to her since-”

“Since she kicked me out of her house!”

“That was years ago Santana, how can you know she still thinks the same way as she did _three years_ ago,” she asked. Santana recognized an element of truth in what she said. She missed her abuela and wanted to reconcile with her. She was worth the effort and maybe she would see reason.

\-----------------------------------

Los Angeles, California

\-----------------------------------

Mercedes rested her chin on her hand as she waited for Sam to pick up the skype call, a tired smile on her face.

“Hey you!” Sam greeted with a bright smile.

“Hey yourself,” Mercedes replied more quietly with a fond look.

The next few minutes involved blinding grins, enthusiastic waves and flailing that they’d both deny in the future, as it had become a routine. Sometimes the excitement was just too much.

"You know, sometimes I just want to stare at you for hours," Sam sighed.

“Sam Evans you need to stop doing that!” Mercedes retorted quickly, blushing.

"It's true! Maybe a pixelated image is all I can get BUT you’re still a sight for sore eyes.”

“You are a sap.”

“And a dork, and proud of it! How is the new agent?”

“She’s alright, I guess? Nathan was a jerk, as was my producer back in the day. Please explain to me why I have a tendency to work with terrible people?”

“Because you have a dazzling personality and always choose to see the best in people?”

“That’s cute, you’re cute,” the affectionate look was returning to Mercedes’ eyes.

“I know!”

“If I was next to you that would be deserving of a shove,” Mercedes pointed.

“I would say ‘good thing you’re not next to me’ but we both know that’s a lie.”

“That’s it, I give up! You’re officially worse than Blaine,” Mercedes threw her hands up in exasperation.

“First of all, how dare you,” he replied in a mock offended tone. “You just hurt my feelings!”

“Do you want me to kiss it better?”

“Yes!” They both laughed wholeheartedly at that.

“Is it weird that I want you to move here as soon as possible,” Mercedes asked.

“Uh, no?”

“Good, because I really can’t wait,” and, in true glee club fashion, she started [singing](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awMQlSqI564).

_We're on top of the world_

Even though they were apart, Mercedes believed she and Sam were going to make it. More than hoped, she knew that they were going to last. Their relationship may have been bumpier than Finn and Rachel’s, but they were going to be alright.

_So darling, just swear you'll stand right by my side_

Just a few more weeks. He didn’t have enough money to move out of Burt’s yet, but he was getting there, and the thing with Accidental Heroes… He still had to talk to them about drawing from a distance but the only difference in the arrangement would be the timezone gap.

 _Will you love me forever?_   
_I'll love you forever_

It was a sappy moment and they both knew it. Still, it didn’t matter because they were both bursting with happiness by just being together. And it felt great.

_Be my forever_

\-----------------------------------

New York City

\-----------------------------------

 _Man. I got so much done today. I feel really good right now. I feel like I could break out in song right this second, if I really wanted to. Oh, do I want to,_  Kurt thought to himself as he walked out of the Vogue.com offices.

_My whole day has been a whirlwind of productivity and greatness. While on my lunch break, I got an essay for my history of theatre class outlined and finished the choreography assignment that was due at the end of the week. On top of that, I managed to get two web page designs approved and back to Isabelle and I worked out three design quarrels on his own. Isabelle thought I did so well, she’d let me leave early because I had class in the morning._

_I’m doing well in all of my classes, and Blaine is always willing to help, since we’re going through some of the same course material together. Vogue is great, and, since One Three Hill has disbanded, I have a lot more time to focus on being in the moment and spending more time with Blaine._  

Kurt was pulled out of his thoughts at the sound of Blaine’s ringtone, Love, Love, Love, by the Beatles. He’d set it as Blaine’s ringtone not long after they got engaged. It always made him blush.

“Hello?”

“Hi, honey! I got your text. Since you’re out a little bit early, would you mind picking up some things from the store? We’re out of pasta, and I really wanted to make that dish with the white wine sauce,” Blaine said.

“Of course, love. Is there anything else you want me to get while I’m there? I can pick up another bottle of wine, if you’d like. We can just drink the old and use the new in the sauce,” Kurt replied, getting onto the train out to Bushwick.

“Oh, sure. Maybe we could break out a movie later, after we’ve finished our assignments,” Blaine said.

“I like that. Guess what.”

“What?”

“I was able to finish two assignments on my lunch break today, and Isabelle thought I’d done so well today, she let me leave early so I could get some sleep before class tomorrow.”

“Kurt, that’s great! Maybe we could get some wedding planning done this weekend.”

Kurt smiled. “I certainly hope so.”

\-----------------------------------

Lima, Ohio

\-----------------------------------

“Alright. Yeah. I love you, too, ‘Cedes. Okay. Bye,” Sam said into his phone, ending the call reluctantly. It was hard, loving someone who lived a thousand miles away. But it was so worth it. Sam and Mercedes were together, once again, and he was so much happier for it. Sure, the long distance thing was hard, but Sam was just so happy, he didn’t even really care all that much.

On the other hand, he missed her. A lot. The last time he’d seen her in person was a week ago, and he probably wasn’t going to see her again until Valentine’s Day. Yes, they were going to move in together, but that didn’t make the long distance any more bearable. They video chatted, but it just wasn’t the _same._ He couldn’t hug her and kiss her all he wanted. He had to be content with getting to see her and talk to her and make her laugh with his many impressions and goofy accents.

“I’m driving myself insane. I need to get out of here,” Sam muttered to himself, getting up and heading out the door. “See ya, tomorrow, Burt! I’m heading out for the day!”

Sam got in his car and drove towards the Lima Community Center, where he knew the Vibratos were practicing. His car was a rickety old thing, not much more than he could afford, but at least he was looking for someone to buy it off of him. The shop didn’t pay much, but hopefully selling the car would help pay for the move to LA.

He knew that the only way to get Mercedes out of his head so he could focus on something else was to go listen to some really talented kids sing some [Top 40 hits](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kC29pd_5sQU).

Sam wasn’t surprised to hear the sounds of voices singing in harmony as he walked inside.

_Life tearing at the seams_

Sam quietly moved one of the book bags off of a chair and sat down. It never ceased to amaze him how talented the Vibratos were when they worked together as one voice.

_Like punching in a dream breathing life into my nightmare_

It was just the ladies, tonight. Marley was singing at the front, to no one in particular, but her voice was as beautiful as ever. She sang with a resonance, and her voice lasted and carried across the room.

_In the place that you fear it the most_

Unique, Kitty, and Sugar were swaying alongside her, making sure the vocals were all harmonizing properly and perfectly. They were one, as they always seemed to be.

_Like punching in a dream breathing life into my nightmare_

Sam stood, clapping as loud as he possibly could. 

\-----------------------------------

New York City

\-----------------------------------

Rachel walked down the street to the Spotlight Diner. There were a few sizeable puddles of melting snow on the sidewalk, making the journey a hopping game she was only half focused on.

She felt like she had gone back to her freshman year at NYADA. Even though she had lived in NYC for more than two years, she still felt lost, without a sense of home. And this time around there was also a sex crazed roommate that made it impossible for her to have a livable, physical home.

The main difference between now and then was that she used to have an undeniable drive. Sure, people had looked down on her, a green freshman who thought herself a woman, but she knew she had made it out of a cow town and that stardom was on her horizon. Now she wasn’t so sure. That didn’t mean she had lost the gleam in her eyes or that her fiery personality was gone, it only meant that Rachel Berry, the undeniable star, was gone, and she was replaced with a humble, more real version of herself.

The bell chimed when she walked in, a current of warm air hitting her face as she noticed her best friend near the counter, looking thoroughly bored. Kurt had been her saving grace in New York. First by moving in with her into an affordable apartment, later by letting her move in with him and his fiancé (although that decision left her with many mental scars and memories that she would never be able to erase). Without Kurt she had no idea where she would be.

“Hey,” she greeted when she walked in.

Surprisingly, it wasn’t Kurt who noticed her, but one of the other workers. “Look who decided to visit her old co-workers! Decided to take a break from LA? Missing the nippy air of the one and only New York City? It’s nice to know you’re not too fancy to come here.” Rachel failed miserably in concealing her wince.

“Charlie, would you mind taking the order at table 6, I feel like they’ve been waiting for at least 15 minutes.” Kurt truly was her knight in shiny armour.

“Table 6 is in your area Hummel, it’s your own fault they’re waiting.”

“I have one word for you, Walker, thirteen.” Well, Rachel was curious now.

“Fine, but I no longer owe you one,” Charlie retorted.

“You wish! Hey Rach.”

“Well, that was unpleasant...”

“That’s what you get when you make sure everybody in a ten yard radius knows you’re a Broadway star and if they help you, you’ll be kind enough to remember them in future. What brings you here?”

“Lunch...?”

“Well, Lady Berry, I’m more than happy to serve you,” Kurt said with a fake bow.

“Stop it!” she replied with a pointed look.

“Fine,” Kurt raised his hands in mock surrender. “How’s living without me? Do you miss me too much?”

“I do, please let me back in!” Rachel begged as she and Kurt sat down at a booth.

“Nuh huh, honey, unless you want to buy better noise cancelling earphones.”

“Mark me as uninterested then, I have enough of it as it is! Tell me Kurt, do I have a curse?”

“A curse?” Kurt looked amused.

“Wherever I live in New York people can’t seem to be able to _find quiet._ ” she bemoaned.

“I am so not apologizing! Remember when Brody lived with us?”

“Please keep those memories buried deep.” Rachel buried her face in her hands, ears pink with embarrassment.

“I’m guessing one of your roommates spends a lot of time in her bedroom.”

“Two of them, together!” Kurt mouthed an ouch but he could relate. To both sides.

“So what are you going to do about it? Move out? Kick them out by throwing Ayra’s platforms at them?”

“Sounds tempting but rent is expensive in New York. That was one of the last apartments I checked out and one of the few that was actually affordable.” She had been singing somewhat regularly at The Blue, and earning some money in the process, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t struggling and she didn’t want to beg to her dads for money.

“Well, I think you should consider being sponsored by the companies that sell noise cancelling earphones, dear. But now I feel like singing and you are singing with me!”

“Kurt Hummel, is my small pity party making you put your diva-ness aside?”

“Yes, but don’t get used to it. It only happens once a month.” He grabbed her hand and dragged her over to the stage to [start singing](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwfCjYv7gVQ).

_One life with one dream on repeat._

Rachel had always been very focused, always had the one dream of being on Broadway, and she had done it! But now that her life had fallen apart and was slowly building itself again she realized she had to do things differently this time around. Life wasn’t being handed to her on a silver platter but she knew it would all be work out in the end.

_There's a fork in the road_

It felt nice to have a break. Between NYADA, and the diner, and Vogue, and planning a wedding, Kurt’s life, though successful, was a tad overwhelming. At some point he would have to let something go but, as it was, he was managing without having to sacrifice any of his passions. And he knew he could count on Blaine to help him with everything he could.

 _Do you think you will be good enough_   
_To love others and to be loved?_

Rachel was starting to get on her feet, and soon she’d be able to run, if not fly. But there was no need for high expectations, not now anyway. Maybe one day, she’d go back to dream big but as for now? She was more than content with her small victories in this journey of self-discovery.

 _And I don't know, don't know, don't know, don't know_   
_Who-oo-oo-oo-ooo I want to be._

No matter how much Kurt had his life figured out, there was still room for uncertainty when it came to big decisions. Still, he’d cross that bridge when he got there. Perhaps he didn’t know much as a 21 year old, but what he knew gave him support and reliability, and this safety net was going to allow him to take the big leap some day.

_Cuckoo_

\-----------------------------------

Los Angeles, California

\-----------------------------------

Brittany sat at the table with four plates in front of her, each holding a sandwich. Lord Tubbington was usually content with tuna fish, but today he had also demanded grilled cheese with jalapenos, turkey with extra mayo, and peanut butter with jelly. Brittany surveyed the food in front of her tiredly. Lord Tubbington sat on the table across from her, looking bored.

“Lord Tubbington, I really wish you would make up your mind about what kind of sandwich you want, so I wouldn’t have to make so many,” she exclaimed in exasperation. “It’s quite selfish of you. I mean I know that one will be for me, but I don’t even like jalapenos. You should be more considerate of who you’re eating with before you choose the menu.”

Lord Tubbington nosed at the tuna for a moment before taking a bite.

“See there, it wasn’t so hard to choose, was it,” Brittany accused, grabbing the turkey for herself and taking a huge bite. “I had another dance audition this morning, you know,” she reminded him. “I’m very hungry so it’s a good thing you didn’t keep me waiting too long.” She took another few bites as she looked around the room thoughtfully.

“I really wish that one of these places would call me back,” she admitted. “I’ve been working so hard at this for several months now, and I’m tired of being home alone so much. I want to get paid!” She shoved in the last bite of turkey sandwich, and delicately brushed the crumbs off her fingers onto the plate. Then she pointed at the peanut butter sandwich and looked at Lord Tubbington questioningly. Lord Tubbington ignored her and licked his paw where he had been using it to hold his tuna still on the plate. Brittany took the peanut butter sandwich and licked along the edge to get some jelly that was starting to ooze out.

“I’m good at what I do, Lord Tubbington,” she explained around a mouthful of peanut butter and bread. She grabbed a glass of water and took a long swallow to wash it down. “I know I am good. I guess I just have to wait for someone else to notice.” She sighed, and chewed thoughtfully before swallowing. “It’s just hard to--”

She was cut off by the sound of her phone ringing. She picked it up and looked at the caller ID

“That’s weird,” she mused. “I have no idea who that is.” She looked at Lord Tubbington. “What, you think I should answer it, even though it’s a total stranger?”

Lord Tubbington just stared at her.

“Ok, fine.” She pressed the button to answer.

“Hello?... Yes, this is Brittany S. Pierce… Yes, I’m available next Thursday...Really? Oh my god thank you! Yes! I can start rehearsals tomorrow… No, it’s not a problem at all. I will be there. Thank you!”

She hung up and stared at Lord Tubbington with amazement and excitement in her face. “That was someone from one of the auditions I did last week. They want to hire me!”

\-----------------------------------

Lima, Ohio

\-----------------------------------

“Excuse me, can I help you?”

Santana guessed her pacing back and forth made her look lost. She wasn’t lost. Her mom had told her where her abuela’s room was and she had gone over her speech countless times on her mind. And she was starting to regret it.

“Uhh no, I’m alright,” she replied with a fake smile that felt incredibly out of character.

 _Okay Santana, you’re already making a fool of yourself, might as well get this over with._  Sighing, Santana started walking towards the dreaded direction of her abuela’s room, her breathing rapid with nerves.

She knocked. No response. She looked at the flowers she brought with her. Roses were her abuela’s favorite flower and she had gotten them in white, hoping it would pass the message that she came in peace. _I shouldn’t rely on the meaning behind of stupid flowers, what was I thinking?_

With a deep breath she opened the door. “Abuela?”

“Santana? What are you doing here?”

“I came to visit you, Abuela,” Santana said hopefully, setting the vase of flowers on a table next to several others. She noticed with a smug satisfaction that no one else had brought roses. She turned back go her grandmother. “I haven’t seen you in so long, and I have missed you. I live in Los Angeles now, you know,” she added, almost as an afterthought.

“Well the trip was a waste of your time. You didn’t need to come. I don’t like people seeing me here in this stupid bed with all these tubes and things. If the doctors would listen to me and just let me go home then you could visit me there, where it’s decent.” Santana couldn’t help smiling at Abuela’s feisty nature. She might have advanced-stage cancer, but her personality hadn’t changed. “And I thought I told you to get out of my house.”

“This is not your house...” Santana muttered.

“Don’t mumble, Santana! I expected you to take my words seriously, but I should’ve guessed...”

“And here I was, thinking I could talk to you!” tears of pain and anger were welling in her eyes and she forced herself not to wipe them so that her abuela couldn’t see how she was getting to her.

“Are you here to apologize for your sins after all these years?”

“No Abuela, because loving Brittany is not a sin, and it took me a while to realize it but it’s not your disapproval that is going to break me. I just miss you,” at that moment Santana’s brave facade cracked a bit.

“I miss you too Santana, and I love you, but I don’t love your sin and I will not tolerate it!”

“You will not tolerate my sin? Why, because it’s scandalous? Oh please, are you that hypocritical?”

“Santana, leave!”

“No, I won’t. You know what, I gave you the benefit of the doubt. I had hope that three years after I came out to you your mindset would evolve and be on par with the 21st century. But I was wrong, wasn’t I? Because that cheap, worn-out book you love more than your own granddaughter tells you that ‘being gay is wrong.’ And the worst part, you don’t even think it’s wrong, you just feel ashamed that I’m brave enough to be who I am-”

“I told you to leave!”

“You want shameful, I’ll give you shameful. You know what you should feel embarrassed about? Shunning your own blood! And even if you’re that willing to accuse me of wrong-doing, why not focus on the early high school years? Oh the glorious years of depravity! But oh no, the really messed up thing here is loving a woman, a beautiful girl that makes me smile everyday, and doing it publicly. And proudly!”

“I don’t know how you can do it Santana, embarrass your family like that and then accusing me of shunning my own blood. Leave!”

“Fine!” Santana half yelled, half [cried](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNzCDt2eidg).

She left the room as fast as she could, noticing the flowers in her hands. _Stupid flowers didn’t even do their job_ , she thought as she threw them into the nearest bin.

_Come on skinny love just last the year_

Santana ran out of the hospital as fast as she could, feeling the hot tears fall down her cheeks. There was no use. She wasn’t going to get her abuela to see reason. All she wanted was complete love and support, not the half-assed excuses her grandmother gave her.

_I tell my love to wreck it all_

Could she not see that Santana was hurting? Every day, she had to deal with discrimination and hate. She had Britt and her mom, and god knows Kurt and Rachel would always be there for her, but she had always had her abuela. That woman had practically raised her. It killed Santana inside to know that there was a part of her abuela that couldn’t stand who she was.

_I told you to be patient_

Her abuela didn’t understand that this was the 21st century. People’s ideals were changing, and there were more and more LGBTQ couples getting married everyday. Why couldn’t she see that Britt made her happy, and that there wasn’t anything wrong with happiness?

_Suckle on the hope in lite brassiere_

But maybe it wasn’t all bad. She’d gotten to talk to her again. That was something. And she’d told her she loved her. That was more than the radio silence Santana had gotten over the last three years.

_Now all your love is wasted?_

Maybe she still had a chance. Her abuela was dying. Santana needed to make sure she knew she wasn’t angry. Because Santana wasn’t. Sad, sure. But, in a way, she understood why there was a disconnect. Santana loved her abuela too much to let her go that easily.

_Come on skinny love_

Santana had to try again. At least one more time. She owed it to herself.

_My, my, my, my, my, my, my, my_

\-----------------------------------

New York City

\-----------------------------------

Blaine was drowning in flowers. Kurt had picked the six he liked best and then told Blaine to pick the three he liked best of those. But Blaine. Couldn’t. Choose.

He loved the anemones, with their red petals and their black centers. They were simple, yet casual and elegant at the same time. But he also loved the grandeur of the white hydrangeas. He’d already chosen the black-eyed susans right off the bat, along with the red and yellow roses, but he only had one more spot, and he had to choose. _Why was this so difficult?_

Blaine thought he should call his mother. She loved to garden. The backyard was full of all kinds of flowers flowers.

He dialed the home phone number, hoping she was home.

“Hello,” a gruff voice answered. Damn. His dad.

“Uh, hey, Dad. Is Mom home,” Blaine asked quickly.

“Oh, no. She’s got a book club meeting in Cleveland this afternoon. Something I can help you with,” Richard asked.

“Well, uh. I was going to ask her some questions about the flower arrangements, but I can wait until she gets home…”

“If you’d like, I could try to help,” Richard offered awkwardly. Blaine thought about his father’s proposition, wondering why his dad would offer to help with wedding planning.

Maybe he was really trying to make their relationship all it could be…

“Alright, Dad. Maybe Mom was able to teach you a thing or two about those flowers she’s always planting,” Blaine joked, hoping his dad really will be able to help him.

“I hope so, son. What’s on your mind?”

“Kurt picked out six flowers for the arrangements. I’m supposed to pick three of these to be in the running for the wedding. Tonight, we’re going to pick the two flowers we’re going to use for the arrangements,” Blaine explained.

“Alright. So what’s the problem?”

“I’m having trouble picking the flowers I like. I’ve already chosen roses, for obvious reasons, and the  black-eyed Susans, which are so different but simple that I had to, but I can’t pick between the pink anemones or the white hydrangeas. I was calling to see if Mom could help with some of her flower knowledge.”

Blaine really hoped his mom’s expertise had  rubbed off on his dad, because these flowers were one of the more important things on their list of things to decide for the wedding.

“Well, maybe your mom didn’t teach me too much about those flowers she’s always planting, because I have no idea what either of those flowers are, let alone what they look like,” Richard said.

Blaine’s eyes fell to his feet. How he ever thought his dad would be able to help him, he didn’t know.

There wasn’t any way he was going to be able to pick these flowers now.

“But that doesn’t mean I can’t look them up,” Richard finished.

Blaine’s eyes widen in surprise. “Wait, really?”

“I told you I’d try to help, didn’t I? So, that’s exactly what I plan on doing.”

Blaine’s mouth turns into a huge grin, so glad his dad picked up the phone. He waited while his dad did a Google search for the two kinds of flowers. “Ah,” said Richard. “So that’s what they look like! Your mom grows both of these in the backyard. But her hydrangeas are blue. I think she has to add sulfur to the soil to keep them that way.”

 _Huh_ , Blaine thought. Maybe his dad paid  more attention to gardening than he’d let on.

“What shade of pink are the anemones?” Richard said.

“Ummm, a soft pink, sort of like --” Blaine wracked his brain for descriptors, but all he could come up with was “Kurt’s lips,” which his father had obviously not spent as much time gazing at as Blaine had. But how else could he let his dad know the exact kind of pink?

 _Oh duh._ Blaine slapped his forehead when the answer came to him. “Here, I’ll take a picture and email it to you.”

Blaine picked up his tablet and took a quick snapshot of the anemones, then sent it to his father. A moment later, Richard spoke up. “Those are really lovely. Now I see why you’re having such a hard time with your decision.” He had a sort of awed tone in his voice that Blaine had only heard a few times before. Richard didn’t usually talk much about things he thought were beautiful. Blaine felt suddenly close to his dad.

“I know, right?”

“But I guess if I think about them in the context of the other flowers, the white hydrangeas make more sense to me. The pink of the anemones would go well with just red or yellow, but with both, it knocks off the whole balance.”

“That makes sense,” Blaine said.

“Unless that’s what you’re going for? You were always braver about mixing your colors than I ever was. And you always make it work really well. I might be a little envious of that talent.”

Blaine couldn’t remember his dad ever complimenting his sense of style before. Things really were changing between them. “Thanks, Dad. Well, I could help you with your wardrobe next time I’m in Lima. Give you a few tips.”

“I’d like that, Blaine.”

Blaine smiled. “But as for the flowers, I think you’re right. The hydrangeas do a better job of balancing out the other colors.”

“I’m glad I could help,” Richard said. “I really do like those anemones, though. Such a nice shape. Maybe if you found some red ones, or yellow, or even blue--?”

Blaine laughed. “You’re supposed to be helping me winnow ideas _out_ , Dad, not give me new ones.”

“Sorry about that, son,” Richard chuckled. “I guess the excitement of the wedding is carrying me away.”

“You really mean that? You’re excited about the wedding?” Blaine said, immediately wishing he hadn’t. What if his father answered _no_?

“Of course I am,” Richard said. “I know we’ve had reservations about your age, Blaine, but I’m happy that you’ve found someone you want to make that commitment to. Getting married to your mom has brought so many good things into my life, including you. I’m excited about what your marriage will bring to you.”

“Thanks, Dad,” Blaine said, overwhelmed with emotion. “That means a lot to me.”

 

\-----------------------------------

New York City

\-----------------------------------

On a normal day, the diner’s vegetarian burger was enough to brighten Rachel’s day. Today? Not so much. After she performed with Kurt, he had to leave to meet Blaine. Something related with flowers, he had said. And as a result Rachel was now eating lunch alone, her only company an already cold tofu burger.

“Your burger looks weird. Why does it look weird?” While Rachel had been indulging in some self pity she didn’t notice that a little blonde girl had approached her that was now looking curiously at her meal.

“Well, that’s because it has no real meat.”

“No real meat? How does a burger exist without meat? Are you magic?” The kid had obviously hit that age when everything was interesting and demanded an explanation, and Rachel was more than happy with the small distraction.

“No, I’m not, but I’ll let you in a little secret,” the girl giggled as Rachel got closer as if she was going to tell a secret. “I’m friends with a unicorn.”

Her eyes got wide with wonder. “No way! I thought unicorns didn’t exist!”

“Oh, they do! And they’re our friends, and that’s why we shouldn’t eat their other animal friends.” Tiny child or not, the way Rachel saw it, it was never too early to teach the basic principles of vegetarianism.

“Mom, Mom, I don’t want my burger any more.”

“Beth, what are you saying?” _Beth? I know a child with that name…_ Now that she was paying attention, she realized that the mother’s voice was familiar too.

“My burger is made with the friends of the unicorns and I don’t want to make a unicorn sad,” poor Beth was on the verge of tears. _Who knew children were so passionate about magical creatures?_ Rachel thought.

“But unicorns don’t exist, Beth,” for some reason Rachel was glued to her seat and didn’t make any move indicating she was going to greet Shelby.

“Yes, they do! That lady told me so and she’s magical! Her burger doesn’t have meat!” Beth stated as she pointed to Rachel.

“Lady?” Shelby was looking around, her eyes finally focusing on Rachel. “Rachel?”

“Hello Shelby.”

“You know the magical lady?” Beth interrupted.

“Beth, would you join the other kids and _please_ finish your burger.”

“But I want to meet the unicorn!”

“Maybe some other day sweetie, now go,” Shelby watched Beth go and then turned to Rachel. “You’re back in New York?”

“Yeah, the TV show didn’t really work for me,” Rachel was starting to get a bit tired of these type of questions but she supposed it was her own fault for being so loud about LA.

“Aw, that’s terrible. So, what are you doing here? Auditioning for Broadway?”

“Auditioning? Yes. But that’s about as far as I go.”

“I’m guessing they didn’t like the fact that you chose television over the stage,” Rachel shook her head at that. “Well, I’m sure you’ll get back on your feet.”

“I hope so, I just need to sort out my living arrangements.” Shelby gave her a questioning look. “When I first moved back I was living with two of my friends, but they’re engaged and I was a very obvious third wheel, so I moved out. The problem is that I currently live with many, many people and some of them are a bit cuckoo. Overall, it’s a bit intolerable.”

“I see,” Shelby appeared sympathetic, but didn’t push the issue any further. Rachel, however, couldn’t stop now that she had started.

“I’ve been apartment hunting for months, but since I’m not making very much right now then I can’t afford very much either. It seems like everything in my price range either comes with a herd of roommates or is so far out of town that it would never work for getting to rehearsals when I do get a part.”

“Hmmmm,” Shelby nodded. She had never really tried to mother Rachel, even though she had given birth to her. She had always taken the role of a supportive mentor and friend.

“I’m just frustrated, and so tired of it all,” Rachel concluded. “I feel like I’m trying to do my part by looking for realistic options, but it’s really discouraging. I’m looking at one more later this week, but I admit that at this point I’m afraid to get my hopes up about anything.”

“Look Rachel,” Shelby said slowly. “I have a spare room. I got it to be a guest room, but I have never used it. Maybe I could rent you the room? It would be cheaper than a whole apartment, and you already know the roommates...”

“Oh no, I don’t want to impose!”

“Impose? Not at all! And I wouldn’t mind the extra money,” Shelby added with a laugh.

“Are you sure it wouldn’t be awkward? With our history and all...”

“Rachel, it’s entirely up to you. I just thought that maybe we could get to know each other a little better. It’s about time after all these years, don’t you think? Besides, I think Beth really wants to get to know the magic lady and the unicorn.”

“I see one major problem with that: the unicorn lives in LA.”

“Well, that’s an inconvenience.”

“About the spare room, I’ll think about it, okay?” Though the opportunity was appealing, Rachel didn’t want to be on the receiving end of pity from anyone, except maybe herself. Rachel was going to try to do it on her own, and if she couldn’t, well, now she knew she had somewhere to fall back on.

\----------------

Lima, Ohio

\----------------

“Santana, I’m leaving to visit Abuela,” Santana barely heard her mom from the inside of the house, but she did and she dashed to the entrance.

“Wait!” she shouted, a tad winded.

“You want to come? I thought things had ended on bad terms yesterday...”

Still a bit breathless, Santana replied. “I have to try to get to her. I don’t want us to part on bad terms. Not again.”

“Sure, come. But the moment you two start fighting I’m dragging you out. This is too emotionally draining already,” she half whispered the last part but Santana still heard it, a heavy weight setting on her heart. All this time she had been focused on her relationship with her abuela, but she had completely forgotten about the toll this would be taking on her mother.

The car trip was a blur, the non-descript landscape not registering on Santana’s mind as her brain was elsewhere, in a hospital room, revisiting every moment of the conversation she had the previous day, and analyzing every alternative outcome of the one she was going to have that day. It was exhausting but she couldn’t stop it.

She left the car and realized that her hands were empty this time. _It’ll be just me, no armors or peace offerings_ , she thought, feeling some regret towards this rash decision.

“Hey I’m here to visit my mother in room 307,” her mom said to the receptionist.

“I’m sorry but visitors are not allowed in room 307.”

“But I’m family, I’m her daughter!”

“Miss, only medical staff is allowed in that room, we’ve received a code blue a minute ago. The patient in room 307 has gone into cardiac arrest.”

\-----------------------------------

Lima, Ohio

\-----------------------------------

Santana was glad that Brittany’s number was on speed dial, because she couldn’t see clearly through the tears in her eyes. Brittany answered on the first ring.

“Hello! Santana, I just got the best news!”

“Britt,” Santana whispered, “Abuela, she–”

Brittany could tell that something was not okay, and immediately changed her tone. Her good news could wait until Santana was okay. “She…?”

“She died,” Santana finished, sniffing loudly and then wiping her nose with the back of her hand and not even caring that it left a shining line of snot there. “She died, I mean we knew that it would be soon. But the day before she died she and I had a big fight and I said awful things to her Brittany, and she said awful things to me too, and then the cancer--that damn cancer… Now I can’t even try to make up to her about it. It’s too late.” She cleared her throat. “It’s too late,” she repeated.

“Oh my god Santana, I’m so sorry,” Brittany’s empathy was clear in her voice. “I’m so, so sorry. I know it was a long shot that you’d be able to make up with her after how everything has been between you, but it’s go to be hard now that it’s finally all real and there’s no going back…”

“Please tell me you can come be with me for the funeral,” Santana asked. “I don’t think I can do this alone.”

“Your parents are there,” Brittany started, but then she paused and took a deep breath. “Santana, I really really want to be there for you, but I can’t.”

“What do you mean you can’t,” Santana asked roughly.

“I wasn’t going to bring it up like this, but I got a gig, Santana. I have a whole bunch of rehearsals and a performance… I made a commitment and I need to be there.”

“What about your commitment to me, doesn’t that matter more than a dance gig?” Santana spat. She was mad now.

“You matter to me very much,” Brittany assured her, “and I would drop this in a second if I could, but I’ve signed a contract. If I walk out on this it could ruin my options for professional dancing in the future.”

“Surely you can explain that it’s extenuating circumstances?” Santana countered. “What kind of choreographer would be so heartless as to keep you away from your girlfriend in a time like this?”

“Um, Lauren Fitz.”

“Who?”

“Lauren Fitz.”

“Who the hell is that Brittany, and why does it matter?”

Brittany sighed. “I’m dancing backup for Beyonce, Santana. I am incredibly lucky to get this offer, and if I walk away from it--even on good terms--it could be years before I got another chance at something like this.” She took a deep breath. “I can’t come to Ohio right now Santana. I’m really really sorry, I wish I could. But I can’t.”

Santana sat in stunned silence. Finally she whispered “Wow. I’m sorry. I get it. But damn I still wish you could be here with me.”

“Me too, Santana. I really just want to hold you right now. I miss you so much.”

“Well, the funeral is less than a week away, and I will come right home to you after.”

“I can’t wait!”

“I can’t wait either. I’m so ready to leave Lima,” Santana sighed.

“Promise me one thing?”

“What?”

“Since I can’t be there with you, find someone who lives closer who can come? You shouldn’t be alone.”

“Ok,” Santana wiped the tears off her cheek. “Ok Brittany, I promise.”

 

\-----------------------------------

New York City

\-----------------------------------

Kurt and Blaine were enjoying a lazy weekend. They’d had a nice dinner together on Friday, and they’d decided to just spent the weekend lazing about the loft. Kurt was getting caught up on all the shows he’d recorded, and Blaine was happy to compose and arrange music to his own content.

Just last night he’d played Kurt the most beautiful rendition of [Your Song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szBM3XMS8sM) he’d heard. Blaine was usually good at arranging music in his head, and then putting it to paper, which got him a lot of points with a few of his professors.

Kurt was so proud of how far they’d come. Through the hurt and heartache, they’d managed to end up together, for better or for worse. Everything was coming together beautifully.

“Hey. You wanna put in a movie,” Kurt asked, tired of watching America’s Next Top Model.

“Sure! I’m in the mood for something funny. What have we got?”

Kurt got up to look through their combined movie collection, rooting around for their box of comedies. When Blaine had moved back into the apartment, he’d brought with him all the movies Sam had ever bought him for his birthday or Christmas. That was a lot of movies.

“We’ve got Animal House, 13 Going on 30, 27 Dresses, and a few others. Most of them are RomComs,” Kurt said, leafing through the DVD booklet.

“Oh, shoot,” Blaine said from the other end of the living room.

“What?”

‘RomComs! I have an essay on Romantic Comedy for theatre class that’s due on Wednesday, and I haven’t even started it.”

Kurt smiled fondly at Blaine’s forgetfulness. Although it was managing to ruin Blaine’s thoroughly planned out study schedule, Kurt still thought it was cute when he forgot things.

“Alright. Rain check on the movie then. Why don’t you go get started on that, and I can work on this assignment for Isabelle,” Kurt suggested, putting the DVDs back into the movie chest.

“Alright. Thank you, baby. I’m sorry,” Blaine said, rushing off to get his computer.

Kurt chuckled to himself, walking over to his portfolio to get out some of his sketches. Isabelle had wanted to see his design style, so she’d asked him to design a few preliminary dresses. Kurt was certain it was just for practice, but there wasn’t any harm in trying it out. He was pretty good at the whole design thing, and it had gotten him far with his own outfits, so maybe he could use his skills to design dresses.

Earlier in the week, Isabelle had said something in passing about his work ethic. Kurt tried not to think too much of it, but it was hard not to when she’d said he had been one of the “Hardest working interns she’s ever had,” and that “He was definitely deserving of pay.” If she was serious about having him as a paid member of the Vogue.com staff, then he could quit his job at the Spotlight Diner, and he might even be able to free up even more time in his schedule. With a guaranteed number of work days each week, there was no limit to what he could do with his design career.

It was a long shot of a dream, but Kurt could hope. And there was so much he could be doing. There were shows he could audition for, he could get some more, professional practice with his design, and he could (obviously) spend more time with Blaine.

Maybe everything was finally coming together.

\-----------------------------------

Los Angeles, California

\-----------------------------------

Mercedes had not been too surprised by the phone call from Brittany two days ago, saying that she had gotten a job as a backup dancer for a local talk show performance. What she had been surprised about was when Brittany told her who she was dancing backup for.

_“Beyoncé? Seriously,” Mercedes asked incredulously._

_“I know! It’s awesome!” Brittany beamed. “It’s just a one time thing, but still, I get to dance with the Queen B!”_

_“Wow,” Mercedes couldn’t think of anything more eloquent to say. “That’s amazing Brittany!”_

_“But Santana is out of town, so I don’t have anyone to come with me. Will you come with me,” Brittany asked hopefully._

_“Hell yes girl, I will be there!”_

Now Mercedes was standing in a crowd of people, having just watched Brittany dance with Beyonce on a little stage that had been set up in the middle of the street. She was carefully folding up the tripod of Brittany’s camera (she’d recorded the performance for her) when Brittany herself pushed her way through the crowd and found Mercedes. “Wasn’t that so cool?”

“You were so good Britt, really,” Mercedes gushed.

“And that’s not even the best part!” Brittany looked like she was about to burst with excitement.

“What could be better than dancing with Beyoncé?”

“I talked to her, and she said that if we do it right now, right there backstage, she will let me interview her for Fondue For Two!”

“She said what?” Mercedes’ eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.

“Beyonce said that I can have ten minutes right now to interview her for an episode of Fondue For Two!” Brittany repeated. “She said I was a really good backup dancer and that she was glad I came, and that she didn’t mind giving me a few minutes if we could do it quick.” She glanced around before whispering, “I think she’s flattered that I asked her to be on the show, because it’s so unique you know.”

“So why are you out here, girl, get back in there!” Mercedes encouraged, still in shock but not about to let her friend pass up such an amazing opportunity.

“Well, I had to get you, because you have the camera, and I need you to record for me!” She grabbed Mercedes, and Mercedes grabbed the camera bag, and they both ran back toward the dressing rooms.

\---------------------

New York City

\---------------------

As Rachel approached the final apartment to view, she couldn't decide whether to take up Shelby's offer to live with her. It would be nice but she didn't want things to be awkward between them and her life was difficult enough at the moment. She knows the offer is still there, if she wants it, but there is still too much hanging in the balance, if she decided to live with Shelby. It would be nice, but she didn’t want to make things more awkward than they already were.

This apartment was nice. It was spacious and open, and the owner was a nice young woman around Rachel’s age. It could be a good fit. The only problem was that it was still a bit of a commute to the city, and after living in Bushwick, she didn’t really want to have to take the subway all the time.

“Excuse me, is the owner here? I have a few questions to ask before I look around,” someone asked. Probably another renter. Rachel sighed to herself and walked back into the common area. She still had her qualms, but it was starting to look like Shelby was her only option.

_“Little Miss David Schwimmer?!”_

Rachel looked up from her phone in sheer horror.

“Miss July?!”

“Oh my god. What’re you doing here,” Cassandra asked, strutting up to Rachel.

“I, um. Well, I was looking at the room,” Rachel replied.

“Oh, really? I thought you’d moved out to LA,” Cassandra said snidely. Of course she knew about Rachel’s botched stint on TV.

“Yeah. That, uh. Well, that didn’t really work out for me. The stage is where I really belong.”

“Damn right it’s where you belong. I didn’t work my ass off for a whole semester just to teach you the basics and have you quit nine shows in.”

Rachel looked down at her feet, ashamed. Cassandra was right, of course. She’d given up on Broadway for something new and better. But that had gone up in flames, too. She still wasn’t sure where she truly belonged, but she was getting there.

“Look, Schwimmer. I don’t mean to be harsh. Every artist has that moment when they question themselves. You just have to look at what you think is best for _you._ If you think Broadway is it, then you go to every audition that will take you and you kill it. If you’ve suddenly come to the realization that Broadway might not be it, but just performing, then go for it. You just have to learn about yourself a little better. You’ve got time. You’ll figure it out,” Cassandra said, placing her hand on Rachel’s shoulder reassuringly.

Rachel smiled shyly, knowing Miss July was right. She just had to find herself, and she knew just the person to help her.

“Thank you, Miss July. I appreciate it. You’re welcome to the room. I think I’ve found something that is better suited for me,” Rachel said, going back to her phone and dialing Shelby’s number.

“Hello?”

“Shelby! I’ve thought about it, and I’m going to accept your offer. I think this might be my best bet for a room in the city,” Rachel said in a rush.

“Oh, that’s wonderful, Rachel. Maybe we can meet for lunch to discuss the details? Today is my day off,” Shelby suggested.

“Sure! Do you want to meet at Spotlight? Or would you rather meet somewhere else,” Rachel asked.

“How about we go somewhere else? I’m always there; it’s the kids’ favorite restaurant,” Shelby replied.

“Sure! What ab–” Rachel’s phone beeped, indicating another call.

“Shelby, can I call you back? I’m getting another call.”

“Sure, dear. Talk to you in a few.”

Rachel glanced at the caller ID and hit accept call.

“Santana?”  
  
======================================================

 

And that's it once again for this week's episode!! Tune in next week for episode 14, called **Courage (In Bed)**

[Here you can find the album art on tumblr ](http://gleeseasonfix.tumblr.com/post/114972292921/click-here-to-read-ep-13-punching-a-dream)   
[ And here the stills](http://gleeseasonfix.tumblr.com/post/114858030116/glee-season-fix-episode-13-stills-punching-a)

  
  
  
  


SONGS:

  * Be my Forever- Christina Perri ft. Ed Sheeran (Mercedes and Sam)

  * Punching in a Dream- The Naked and Famous (The Vibrato ladies)

  * Skinny Love- Bon Iver (Birdy cover) (Santana)

  * Mowgli's Road - Marina and the Diamonds (Rachel and Kurt)



 

 


	14. Courage (In Bed)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sam goes to Los Angeles to move in with Mercedes. Rachel goes to Lima to support Santana at her Abuela’s funeral and help her find closure, and is finally able to find some closure of her own as well. Puck goes on a date, and Kurt and Blaine realize that it doesn’t matter where they go so long as they’re together. Mike goes to visit Tina and finds the answer to an important question.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written by [ HKvoyage ](http://hkvoyage.tumblr.com) and [ Wowbright ](http://archiveofourown.org/users/wowbright/pseuds/wowbright)  
> Beta by [ HKvoyage ](http://hkvoyage.tumblr.com) and [ alwaysfallingforanidea ](http://alwaysfallingforanidea.tumblr.com/)  
> Glee Season Fix (“GSF”) was written independently of spoilers about Glee Season 6. If songs or plots overlap, it’s due to coincidence or nature of the storylines that need resolution. If references pop up, we excuse ourselves for not being able to hold back.
> 
> Like on the show, GSF also includes songs and performances. There are links to full versions of each song, as well as a few pieces of lyrics quoted in the scene. We hope you will enjoy listening as well as reading, but be aware that the written version is shortened, whereas the audio versions are the full songs.
> 
> Thanks to marauder-in-warblerland and nachochang for helping out with Lauren’s stage name and the name of her workplace  
> Content warning for death/funerals and mentions of Finn

_Here’s what you missed on Glee Season Fix…_

_Mike and Tina have been dancing around each other for months. At Christmas they had a good talk and decided to have weekly phone dates because that seemed like the mature thing to do and they are probably more mature than anyone else who has ever been in glee club. But phone dating is not what either of them really wants, so maybe it’s time to try something different._

_Santana’s Abuela never accepted her being a lesbian, and they had a really big fight about it right before her Abuela died. Now Santana is having lots of complicated feelings about love and anger and what it all means._

_Sam and Mercedes have been in love since forever and have dated on and off the whole time. Most recently they have been in a long distance relationship, but they both think the long distance thing sucks so Sam said he’s going to move in with Mercedes. They did that last year in New York, so it shouldn’t be too complicated, right?_

_Kurt is in love with Blaine and Blaine is in love with Kurt and they’re getting married and they are both super busy but both super into each other so they’re making it work. (And on the days it doesn’t work so well they have hot make-up sex, and then everybody is happy, except possibly the downstairs neighbors. But nobody has ever asked them so we don’t really know.)_

_ Recently Rachel realized that she’s still grieving for Finn, and that a lot of the rash decisions she’s made over the last year have probably been because she was grieving. That might explain a lot. But now that she knows, she’s been talking to people and thinking a lot and it seems like she’s doing better. _

_And that's what you missed on Glee Season Fix!_

 

February 2015

\-----------------------------------

New York City

\-----------------------------------

Kurt hurried down the aisle as he glanced at the list on his phone one last time. Rice, check; tomatoes, check; hummus, check… yes, he had everything in his basket. Usually they did their grocery shopping together, but Blaine had a big project due for one of his classes so today Kurt was doing it alone. He was standing in the middle of the produce section and looked around at the various fruits and vegetables, trying to decide if he should grab one last thing, when he noticed a small display of flowers in the corner.

This grocery store was no floral shop, but during the week before Valentine’s everyone had roses for sale. Kurt smiled to himself as he looked over the selection, and then carefully picked out two bouquets: one of red roses, and one of yellow. After paying, he gingerly opened both wrappers and combined them into one bouquet before rewrapping them to take home to his valentine.

Kurt had to work on Valentine's night. Gunther had declared that no one at the diner had a choice; they all had to work on such a busy night. Kurt had been worried that Blaine would be disappointed until he found out that Blaine had been offered a gig singing at a private party on Long Island. Someone he had met through June last spring had remembered him and offered the job out of the blue. He hadn't been sure about taking it until Kurt announced that he had to work anyway.

Kurt looked down at the red and yellow flowers in his hand. This was not how he had imagined spending Valentine's Day with his fiancé in a romantic city. Then again, they were adults now and they could handle it if life didn't always go like a movie. They could still have a romantic dinner on another night; and tonight he was bringing home flowers.

\-----------------------------------

Ohio

\-----------------------------------

Sam pulled the last pair of pants from his drawer and pressed it into the already-full suitcase. He folded the case closed and leaned on it so that he could get the zipper closed.

With that done, he stood up, hands on hips, and surveyed the room around him. For almost a year this had been home, but as of today it wouldn’t be anymore. The walls were bare, the closet and drawers were empty, and he had even taken the sheets off the bed and washed them this morning so that he wouldn’t make any extra work for Carole. He grabbed his laptop off the desk, and slipped it into his backpack, stuffing the charging cord in with it.

_“Are you sure babe?” Mercedes had asked for the tenth time. “I mean, I want you here with me, but I don’t want you to give up the place you love just because I have to work in the big city.”_

_“I love the quiet life in Lima,” Sam had agreed, “but I love you more. I guess maybe it takes courage to give up that life to come be with you, but I think it’s worth giving up something good for something–someone–better.”_

“Goodbye Lima, you’ve been good to me but it’s time for me to go.” Sam threw his backpack over his shoulder, popped up the handle on his suitcase, and rolled it out of the room, quietly shutting the door behind him.

_[So lately](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iAP9AF6DCu4), been wondering who will be there to take my place._

Sam had done his time, worrying about Mercedes and wondering what the future would hold for them. But he didn’t have to wonder anymore. They were together now, and by tonight they would be living together again too. He couldn’t wait.

_If I could, then I would, I'll go wherever you will go._   
_Way up high or down low, I'll go wherever you will go._

Sam handed his ticket to the distracted woman behind the counter.

“Gate A3, it’s that way,” she pointed.

“Thanks,” Sam grinned.

_Run away with my heart._

Sam stuffed his backpack into the overhead bin on the airplane and scrunched himself into the small seat. Airplanes never had enough leg room anyway, and he was literally bouncing in anticipation. He smiled apologetically at the tiny old woman in the seat next to him. She looked him over knowingly.

“Going to see someone special?”

Sam beamed. “She’s the love of my life.”

“Then you take care of her,” the old woman said, patting the back of his hand.

Sam nodded. “I will.”

_I know now, just quite how,_   
_I'll stay with you for all of time._

Sam came out of the secure part of the airport and couldn’t help scanning the crowd around the baggage claim area. He had told Mercedes to not come to the airport since she didn’t have a car and there was no sense in paying for two taxi rides. Still, he always looked for her, even when he knew she wouldn’t be there. He smiled again as he went out to flag down a cab.

_If I could make you mine I'll go wherever you will go._

She met him at the door. “Welcome home, babe,” she whispered in his ear as they embraced.

“Home,” he agreed. He put his hands on either side of her face and kissed her soundly. He was home.

 

\-----------------------------------

Somewhere near San Antonio, Texas

\-----------------------------------

Two miles east of San Antonio’s Lackland Air Force Base stood an old white Spanish mission-style building that no one would ever confuse for an actual mission.  At the top of the building where the steeple should have been, a bright neon sign proclaimed the spot “The Singin’ Alamo: The Shrine of Texas Karaoke.”

Puck parked his car in the dirt lot next to the building and walked in. He glanced toward the bar but was disappointed to see Lauren wasn’t standing behind it. She’d told Puck she’d be working tonight, but it was like her to leave him hanging. Instead of Lauren tending bar, there was a big burly dude with tattoos covering both arms from his t-shirt sleeves down to his fingers.

A guy in a cowboy hat was on the stage singing karaoke, but Puck couldn’t make out the song above all the riotous chanting coming from the far corner of the room. A crowd was gathered in a circle three or four people deep, everyone’s eyes focused on the action at the center. _Must be a drinking contest going on,_  Puck thought to himself. He hadn’t come here for something as mundane as a drinking contest, but if Lauren wasn’t around, he might as well entertain himself somehow.

Puck walked up to the back of the circle and stood on his tiptoes to see toward its center. It was then that he spotted Lauren. She was seated at a two-person table across from a dude nearly twice her size, their elbows propped against the wood and hands locked in battle. Lauren had pushed the man’s forearm halfway toward the table, and the bar patrons around them were excitedly waving dollar bills in the air – some egging Lauren on with shouts of “You get ’im girl!” while others countered with “You can’t let a woman beat you, Sly!”

Puck joined in with a “Kick his ass, Lauren!” though he knew she didn’t really need his encouragement – or anyone else’s for that matter. No way was Lauren going to lose this arm wrestling match, spectators or not.

 _SLAM!_ The man’s arm hit the table and he let out a frustrated groan. Lauren stood up with a bright smile on her face. “Who wants to lose next?” she shouted at the crowd.

Damn, she was hot when she got feisty. Which, truth be told, was pretty much all the time. Puck smiled to himself. He should ask her out sometime.

\-----------------------------------

Tina’s Apartment, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island

\-----------------------------------

Tina was lazily glancing over her schedule for the coming week. She had done most of her homework and was ready for a break. After all, Friday nights shouldn’t be for studying, right? Never mind that she didn’t have any plans… she could always go to a movie or something. She was just pulling up an app to look at listings when she the sound of urgent knocking surprised her. She wasn’t expecting anyone, so she pulled back the chain slowly before opening the door.

“Hell--” Tina broke off when she saw that Mike stood there, a little flushed, with a bouquet of flowers in his hand.

“Mike?” she started, thoroughly surprised to see him. “What are you doing here–”

He interrupted her, stepping close and blurting out in a low voice that went straight through her “I’m sorry I didn’t call, but I needed to ask you something, and I needed to ask it in person.”

“Uh, ok?” Tina stepped back from the door so Mike could come in. She was still trying to wrap her mind around the fact that Mike was here, in her apartment, instead of several hours away in New York City. “What’s the question?”

Mike surprised her for the second time in as many minutes: “Can I kiss you?”

“Wha–?” Tina was completely caught off guard.

“Please?” he added hopefully.

Tina nodded, dumbstruck. Or at least she started to nod but her head had barely dipped once before Mike had dropped the flowers on the desk, pulled her into his arms, and pressed his lips to hers.

Kissing Mike was wonderfully familiar. Comfortable and safe in a way that allowed Tina to relax more than she ever had with anyone else. In spite of that, months (no, years!) of missing and longing meant that there were fireworks in her head and electricity running down her spine at his touch.

As he pulled back, Tina stared into his eyes, trying to make sense of what was happening.

“Mike?” she asked hesitantly, unsure what question to actually ask.

“I’m all in, Tina,” he explained. “I know at Christmas we said we wanted to take some time to get to know each other again because it’s been so long and we’ve both grown into different people. But these last couple of months we’ve had our Skype dates and all the other conversations, and it’s enough for me. I’m ready. I’m sure. I want to be with you again. I just had to make sure that you felt the same way.”

“So you came up here? You could have said something at our Skype date this weekend,” Tina pointed out.

“No, I couldn’t. If you’d said yes and I couldn’t kiss you that very second I might have lost my mind.” Mike’s smile was surprisingly shy considering all he had said and done in the last few minutes. “Besides, I missed you.”

Tina wrapped her arms around him and pulled him close. “I missed you too, Mike.”

“So,” he hesitated, “do you?”

“Do I what?”

“Do you feel the same way?” Mike gazed down into Tina’s eyes, searching for an answer. “I don’t just want a Valentines hook-up with my old girlfriend. I want a relationship with the new woman here in front of me.”

Tina didn’t need any longer to think about it. She had already been thinking about it for years. “Yes, Mike, I’m in. I want to be with you too.”

"Oh thank god!" he exclaimed, pulling her in for a tight squeeze. This time she kissed him, not as gently or comfortably as before, but with a little more fire now that she knew what it really meant. Mike responded eagerly, matching her intensity until they both had to pull back and catch their breaths.

“So,” she cleared her throat with a chuckle. “Can you stay for dinner?”

“Can I stay for the weekend?” Mike suggested with a twinkle in his eye. “I did take the train for over four hours to get here. And I brought a bag…”

Tina glanced back to the door and saw that there was, in fact, a duffel bag sitting on the floor there. “How did I not notice that?”

“Because I’m a good kisser and I distracted you?” Mike suggested.

Tina laughed. This was going to be the best Valentine’s Day she’d had in a long time.

\-----------------------------------

The Berry home, Lima, Ohio

\-----------------------------------

Rachel looked around her childhood bedroom. Everything was unpacked, and she’d hung the black dress for the funeral up on the bed canopy to let out its wrinkles. It looked so out of place among the pastels and stardust of her room.

It made her think of another funeral, but she brushed the thought away. She picked up her phone and called Brittany. “Just thought I’d let you know I’m in Lima,” she said when Brittany picked up.

“Thank goodness,” Brittany said. “I feel so bad about not being able to make it. It means so much to me that you’re there to support Santana. Maybe you’re more of a unicorn than I thought.”

Rachel shook her head even though Brittany couldn’t see her. “It’s nothing. I’m between living situations, and I’ve been overdue for a visit to my dads. Anyway, you all were so supportive when...” Rachel couldn’t bring herself to say his name even though it’s tattooed on her rib. “I’ll always be grateful for that. I guess this is my way of paying it forward.”

“Well, thanks anyway. I sent Santana a priority mail box full of Skittles to cheer her up, but it’s not enough. Santana’s like a lizard. She needs a warm body next to her so her heart doesn’t get too cold.”

Rachel cleared her throat. “Well, I’m planning to head over there after I talk to my dads for a little. Is there anything you want me to tell her?”

“Not really. I already talk to her like twenty times a day. Just give her a hug for me.”

“I’ll do that,” Rachel said. “If she lets me.”

Brittany laughed. “I’d say give her a kiss for me, too, but she might get confused and think you were hitting on her. Besides, if you’re going to be kissing girls, you should start with Quinn. I always thought the two of you would be cute together.”

Rachel’s eyes went wide like a deer caught in the headlights. This wasn’t where she’d expected the conversation to go, but one could never know with Brittany.

\-----------------------------------

The Singin’ Alamo, San Antonio, Texas

\-----------------------------------

By the end of the night, Lauren was 17-0 undefeated and $342 the richer for it. “Want a drink?” she said when Puck walked up to congratulate her after the spectators had dispersed. “I’m feeling generous.” She shuffled the wad of bills in her hand and Puck let out a low whistle.

“Damn, you really cleaned up! Congratulations!” He held out his hand for a shake. She eyed it suspiciously, then stuck the wad of cash down the front of her shirt (oh, how Puck wished he was a dollar bill nestled in her cleavage) and gave him a hearty handshake.

“Thanks. Made a ton more than I do as Our Lady of Pain.”

Puck’s mind flashed back to the height of the wrestling match he’d watched her in, when Our Lady of Pain flipped Rude Boy Reardon upside down and finished him off with a piledriver into the mat. It had been one of the most beautiful things Puck had ever seen, almost making him tear up with admiration. “How much do they pay you for that, anyway?” Puck said, dropping down in the empty seat next to hers.

“Twenty bucks a match usually, maybe forty if I’m lucky.”

“Dude! Is that even enough to pay for your gym membership?”

“Barely.”

Puck’s steam rose. “That’s crazy! You’re an awesome wrestler. It’s like watching someone make art when you do your moves.”

“Never heard anyone call it that.” Lauren snorted. “But even so, art’s not exactly a way to get rich, is it? I heard even Rachel Berry’s hurting for a job right now.”

Puck did a doubletake. Lauren hadn’t mentioned kids from the glee club once since he’d run into her here in Texas. He’d assumed they’d all disappeared from her radar. “How’d you hear about that?”

It was Lauren’s turn to look shocked. “I live in San Antonio, not _on the moon._  I watched her TV show, you know. Not really my kind of entertainment, but it wasn’t half bad.”

“Oh yeah,” Puck said. “I guess the whole country knows about that. Or at least whoever watched it does.”

Lauren leans forward, her elbows on the table. “Anyway, I don’t do wrestling for the money. I do it because it’s what I love. I mean, sure, it would be great if a scout offers me a contract with WWE, but I’m not going to hang my hat on that. There are a lot of great wrestlers who never made it that far. The important thing is to keep doing my best.”

Those aren’t words Puck ever expected to hear from a girl who talked about becoming as rich as the Kardashians and having her own perfume line. “What ever happened to the girl who wanted to make a sex tape just so she could be famous?”

Lauren busts out laughing. “Well, if the right opportunity comes along, maybe I’ll still do that. It’s not like I’ve lost my ambition. But the journey matters, too. I guess I learned that in glee club.”

Later that night, as Puck drove back to the base, an old [song by Styx came on the radio](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QumxOQganfo&feature=youtu.be&t=6s).

_Lady, when you're with me I'm smiling…_

Puck joined in with the song. Thoughts of Lauren filled his head. He remembered back to high school, how head-over-heels he’d been even though she’d never let him sleep with her. Damn, they hadn’t even gotten past first base. But it didn’t matter. There was something about her that he couldn’t resist. It wasn’t just that she was sexy. It was how well she understood him – what would make him laugh and what would frustrate him and what would make him want to work for her love. She had gotten him in a way that no one else did. And she still did.

_Touch me and my troubles all fade_

He thought back to their night after her wrestling match, just shooting the breeze over ice cream sundaes. It was just plain fun, like hanging out with the guys, except that she wasn’t a guy and that made all the difference. Not just because she was gorgeous and had this sultry way of pulling the spoon out of her cute little heart-shaped mouth, but also because Puck didn’t feel like he had to compete with her like he did with other guys, always trying to show how he was stronger or faster or more attractive to women. And if he was tempted to compete – well, Puck just couldn’t. She was stronger and faster than him, and probably more attractive to most women and men than he’d ever be. Plus, she was smarter and shrewder and a better shot, even though he’d been through basic training and had to practice his marksmanship regularly.

_Love shines in your eyes,_   
_Sparkling, clear, and lovely..._

Lauren was just better than him. But that didn’t make Puck feel bad about himself. It just made him want to be closer to her, maybe let some of her awesomeness rub off onto him and make him into someone great, too.  
  
\-----------------------------------

A little restaurant in New York City

\-----------------------------------

Kurt giggled.

“What?” Blaine looked at him curiously across the tiny candlelit table in the corner of the restaurant. So what if Valentine's was two days ago, they were here, together, now, and they were happy.

“Being here for our Valentine’s dinner date reminds me of some of our past Valentine’s Days,” Kurt explained.

“And that makes you laugh?”

“I was thinking about the Gap Attack.”

Blaine groaned. “You’re never going to let me live that one down, are you?”

“Probably not,” Kurt beamed. “I mean, it was heart-wrenching for me at the time, so it’s only fair that you suffer a little from it too.”

“As if getting my heart broken by my beloved assistant manager at the Gap wasn’t enough suffering for me to go through,” Blaine laughed and gave Kurt a flirtatious wink. “What was his name again, anyway?”“

It was Kurt’s turn to laugh then. “Seriously? You don’t even remember the guy’s name?”

Blaine gazed up at the ceiling. It looked like he was trying to roll his eyes all the way backward so he could peer into his brain and find the place the name was stored. “I think it began with a J ...”

“Jerome?” Kurt said calmly. Then something clicked in his head, and he bounced in his seat like he would whenever he was about to win a round of Pictionary. “No – wait – Jebediah!”

Blaine snorted. “No, but it was something like that. Maybe Jeremiah?”

“I think you’re right,” Kurt said. He reached across the table and squeezed Blaine’s hand. “Poor guy. He was your first love, and now you can barely even remember his name.”

Blaine’s expression went soft with an extra layer of affection that hadn’t been there before. He looked Kurt directly in the eye. “The assistant manager at the Gap was not my first love. You were.”

Kurt blushed. Funny how Blaine could still make his heart flutter as much as it did when they first knew each other – in fact, even more.

“That was when you told me you liked me,” Blaine remembered. “That was awfully brave of you, putting yourself out there like that.”

Kurt bit his bottom lip. “Not really. I didn’t tell you how hard I was crushing on you. I just told you that I thought you were planning to ask me out. It was nothing like when you laid your heart on the line and told me you’d been looking for me forever.” He glanced up at Blaine through his eyelashes. Somehow this man could still made him feel a little bashful, even after all this time.

“I don’t know, Kurt,” Blaine said earnestly. “I was pretty sure how you would respond at that point. But you told me when I had just serenaded another guy. That took a lot of courage.” Blaine looked at him adoringly. “You’ve always been braver than me.”

“Well,” Kurt couldn’t help blushing a little. “Besides the fact that that’s not really true, you know what my greatest source of courage has always been.”

Now it was Blaine's turn to blush. "I may be good at saying it, Kurt, but you are better at doing it."

Kurt reached for his fiancé's hand across the table and squeezed it. "It's easier to be brave when I know I'm not alone. When I know you’re there to support me."

Blaine began to hum under his breath. It only took Kurt a moment to recognize the [song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufXYxKw58RA), and to come in with the opening lines.

_Live in my house, I'll be your shelter,_   
_Just pay me back with one thousand kisses._

Blaine joined Kurt on the third line, singing in low harmony,

_Be my lover and I'll cover you._

They looked at each other and giggled. “We make good harmony together,” Kurt said.

Blaine beamed. “We do.”

\-----------------------------------

Just off the Brown University campus, Providence, Rhode Island

\-----------------------------------

With sixteen ounces of strong coffee in his stomach, Mike finally felt fully awake. He and Tina had stayed up into the early morning hours talking and, ahem, doing other things.

“That’s awesome that you got the Hedwig part!” Tina said, taking Mike’s hand as they stepped out of Blue State Coffee onto Thayer Street, the busy commercial street just off Brown’s campus. The sidewalk was busy with shoppers who were out enjoying a rare sunny day in the middle of winter. “I can’t wait to see you in it! I’m totally going to come down to New York for that.”

“You don’t have to do that, Mike said modestly. “I’m one of many. You might not even be able to tell which one is me once I’m in drag.”

Tina gave Mike a friendly shoulder bump as they turned onto Meeting Street toward Pembroke Field. “You won’t be able to keep me away. And of course I’ll recognize you. You’ll be the hot one.”

Mike smiled. It was so nice to be able to hang out like this again, not having to hold back from touching each other in order to protect their “just friend” status. And the took it as a good sign that Tina was making plans involving him months into the future. This was more than a nostalgic hook-up for both of them. “So,” he said, “Do you want to make this thing between us official?”

“You mean last night wasn’t enough to make it official?” Tina gave Mike a lascivious wink.

Mike winked back. “It was for me. But I don’t want to make assumptions.”

“We should totally make it official, _boyfriend,_ ” Tina said. “My only hesitation is that we’ll never hear the end of it from our friends.”

Mike slouched and let out a dramatic sigh. “Ugh, yeah. Blaine’s never going to shut up about how he was right about us all along. And Artie, and Sam, and Kurt …”

“Well,” said Tina, a sly grin stretching across her face as they reached Pembroke Field, “we could just not tell them. Keep them guessing for a while. Serves them right for harassing us for so long.” She turned to face him and began skipping backward onto the frozen grass, [singing](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQ39ASplNV4):

_People are talkin', talkin' 'bout people._   
_They think we're lovers kept under cover…_

Mike laughed. “You’re brilliant, Tina!”

“That’s why they call me Asian Persuasion!” she said, slipping right back into the song.

Mike watched her in wonder. Tina was such an incredible woman. Why had he waited so long to tell her how he felt?

Mike took both her hands and started dancing her around the field. As the song progressed, he couldn’t help but join in on the lyrics:

_Thinkin' 'bout you every day, dreamin' 'bout you every night._   
_Now that we know it, let's really show it darlin'._

Mike thought back to just a few years ago, when he was so afraid of his own voice that he would merely mouth the lyrics during New Directions songs. How far he had come, to be here now singing a spontaneous harmony with Tina out in public, where any stranger could walk by and hear them. It was Tina who had encouraged him to find his own voice, who helped him develop the courage to sing out his feelings with pride.

_Let's give 'em somethin' to talk about, a little mystery to figure out._   
_Let's give 'em somethin' to talk about. How about love?_

_Love._ That’s what this feeling was. Not just attraction, or close romantic friendship. Mike was in love with Tina. He’d _always_ been in love with Tina, even when he’d been denying it to his friends.

Mike continued dancing with Tina after the lyrics ended. He wanted to tell her _I love you,_  but something stopped him -- even though he was pretty sure she’d be happy to hear the words. It felt like a scary step, anyway.

Soon, Mike thought to himself. _I’ll screw up my courage and tell her soon._

 

\-----------------------------------

The Loft, New York City

\-----------------------------------

Kurt pulled Blaine closer to him in the bed, feeling his lover’s warm back against the skin of his chest. He slid his hand down Blaine's arm until he could lace their fingers together. Their engagement rings clinked against one another and Kurt's heart warmed at the sound. He never got over it. He loved the physical symbols of their relationship and commitment to each other almost as much as he loved the relationship itself.

“I love you,” he whispered. “This has been a great Valentine’s.”

Blaine shifted, rolling over so that he could look at him. “Even though we didn’t even go out on Valentines Day?”

“Hey,” Kurt defended playfully, “we still went out! But we’re busy, and we’re practical enough to do things on the days when they fit our schedule, even if it’s not the same day as everyone else does it. Plus, I think I like it better the way we did it. The restaurant wasn’t so crowded this way.”

Blaine kissed him, sloppy and affectionate. “And you brought me flowers.”

“I did!” Kurt agreed

“You’re the best fiancé.”

“I’m your only fiancé!” Kurt teased back, planting little kisses in a line along Blaine’s jaw.

“You’re the only one I need,” Blaine whispered, arching his neck back to give Kurt access to it. Kurt hummed happily in response, slowly working his way across Blaine’s shoulder, chest and ear before returning languidly to his mouth.

They kissed in the way that only lazy weekends allowed, gently raking their fingers through each other’s hair and along each other’s backs. Over time the kissing slowly slipped into gentle massaging, fingers tracing loopy spirals across arms and backs as Blaine drifted into the edge of sleep.

“I fell in love with you at the very beginning. I’ve always been in love with you,” Kurt whispered, rousing him.

Blaine’s eyes crinkled as he smiled. “Me too. I’m sorry it took me so long to figure it out, and for the times I doubted it–”

“Shhhh, shhhh now,” Kurt ran his fingers down the side of Blaine’s face. “We all do stupid stuff as kids. But we’re not kids anymore, and we’re together now, so it’s all ok.”

Blaine pulled Kurt closer. “I never expected to find a love like this.”

“And what’s it like?”

“Deeper than I ever imagined.” Blaine shifted so he could look directly into Kurt’s eyes. “Your love has changed me, Kurt. It’s made me a better, braver person.”

Kurt blinked back happy tears. It was overwhelming sometimes, how much he loved Blaine. He kissed Blaine slowly, deeply, hoping to communicate all the affection and joy that he felt.

“Oh my god, Kurt,” Blaine muttered when Kurt pulled away. “I felt that kiss all the way down in my toes.”

Kurt giggled and rolled on top of Blaine, kissing him again. _“I’ll cover you with a thousand sweet kisses,”_ he began as he moved to Blaine’s neck, picking up the song they started singing earlier in the restaurant:

_A new lease you are, my love, on life._

He hoped Blaine understood how much he meant every word.

And apparently Blaine did, because his eyes go soft with wonder and affection as he sang  the next lines:

_I’ve longed to discover something as true as this is._   
_With a thousand sweet kisses I'll cover you._

And apparently he was just as sincere as Kurt, because he started peppering Kurt’s neck and chest with kiss after sultry kiss.

_If you're cold and you're lonely, with a thousand sweet kisses I’ll cover you_

Kurt echoed back, and his voice broke a little from all the emotion he was feeling, but how he sounded wasn’t the point. The point was that they were here, together, in love, and learning how to make a life together.

_Oh, lover, I'll cover you…_

 

\-----------------------------------

Lima City Cemetery, Lima, Ohio

\-----------------------------------

It was raining as the black-clad ensemble circled around the open grave and watched the coffin being lowered into it. Umbrellas jostled against one another as people adjusted their footing on the wet ground, trying to avoid puddles and muddy places.

Rachel wasn’t surprised. It was supposed to rain at funerals, right? It added to the drama of the whole situation; not that this needed more drama. Santana stood next to her parents, but their umbrella hadn’t been been big enough for all three of them so Rachel had pushed her way through the family members to bring her umbrella to the rescue. Now she stood close to her, an arm around her friend’s waist as they huddled under an umbrella that was big enough to keep their faces dry but not their shoes. Santana’s face wasn’t dry though. It hadn’t been dry all day actually. Rachel pulled a tissue out of her purse and handed it to the other girl, and Santana glanced at her gratefully as she put a mashed and moist used one in her purse and took the new one that was offered.

“I guess maybe I knew she wouldn’t change,” Santana whispered with a sniff, “but I was really hoping anyway. I knew this was my last chance to get her to accept me and I had to try. She was my _abuela_ , you know? I loved her so much.” She swiped at both eyes and then blew her nose before whispering “she died hating me.”

“No, no, sweetie,” Rachel murmured, trying to console her. “I don’t think she ever hated you, Santana. She may not have accepted your orientation, but somewhere in there I’m sure she still loved you.” Rachel rubbed her hand roughly up and down Santana’s back, trying to reinforce her message.

“I know I’m a world class bitch, and most people hate me,” Santana continued mournfully, “but family is supposed to love you anyway.”

“Your parents love you,” Rachel reminded her. “You have a lot of family here who love you.” Rachel gestured around the group. She didn’t actually know for sure how many of these people were Santana’s family, but they all seemed close (and they were all being nice to each other) so she was pretty sure.

“Ashes to ashes, dust to dust…” the priest intoned as he dropped the first handful of dirt into the grave. Others followed suit, tossing dirt or flowers in onto the coffin.

“Maybe I deserve this,” Santana hissed bitterly, grabbing a handful of the wet dirt and practically throwing it down. “Maybe it’s karma or something, for being awful to so many people for so long, so now my own abuela goes to her grave without so much as saying goodbye to me. She had a chance, you know,” Santana turned to face the shorter girl. “We were all there, and she said goodbye everyone else. But not to me.”

Rachel pursed her lips. She knew that Santana was grieving not just what was but also what might have been. It had only been a couple of weeks since she’d had her own realizations about what grief had done to her in the last year. She knew that Santana was struggling, and that she needed support. She also was pretty sure that if Santana walked away from this funeral with only anger and resentment, she would regret it later.

Rachel reached for Santana’s hand and carefully pressed a white rose into it. Santana glanced at her in confusion. “You should put this in,” she murmured, “she’s your abuela.”

“I…”

“Trust me. I know you’re hurting, but if you don’t do this now you’ll regret it later.”

Santana nodded mutely, dropping the rose into the hole before turning around and walking resolutely back toward the cars.

Rachel watched her go. Only family had been able to park close by, so she had a bit of a walk ahead of her. She pulled her coat close about her as Santana got into a car, then straightened the umbrella and turned to head toward her own.

The Lima City Cemetery was not a particularly large place, but one row of headstones looked much like another, and Rachel didn’t remember exactly where she had parked. The rain had lightened into a gentle sprinkle now, though the ground was still soft and Rachel walked awkwardly on it in her high heels.

She didn’t plan to go to Finn’s grave. She just sort of ended up there automatically. It was right next to Mrs. Hummel’s grave, actually; she had been there with Kurt several times and the area felt familiar, if sad. She wished now that she’d thought to bring roses to leave here as well, but she hadn’t planned on coming here she reminded herself.

Her conversation with Kurt and Blaine about grief had helped her make peace with some of her feelings and actions from the last year. Now she realized that making peace with herself was the easy part; there was someone else she needed to make her peace with. Perhaps that was why she had come here.

She crouched down and ran her fingers along the letters etched into the stone. F-I-N-N H-U-D-S-O-N. She didn’t think about it, [the song just poured out of her](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owKTkrirDOw).

_If I loved you,_   
_Time and time again I would try to say_   
_All I'd want you to know._

Of course she had loved him. Did love him. Had she told him? Had he known? She thought she had. She hoped he did. She had wasted so much time trying to convince him—and herself—that they weren’t soulmates. It wasn’t until he was gone that she fully realized that they were. He had known it long before she did.

_Soon you'd leave me._   
_Off you would go in the mist of day,_   
_Never, never to know how I loved you._

Rachel had loved Finn passionately (if dramatically), and she missed him terribly. Now, standing here staring at the reality of the cold stone in front of her, she thought over the conversations and introspection she’d had in recent weeks, and she realized that she could finally say something she had not been able to say until now.

“Goodbye Finn,” she whispered. Her fingers slipped along her ribcage past where his name was etched into her skin. “You were my first love and you will always be a part of me, but I have the courage to move on now. I love you.”

Rachel Berry didn’t need a lover right now. Her career was her lover, and she was nurturing that relationship for the time being. But she knew that eventually she would want a man in her life again. And even though she didn’t know when that time would be, she realized that now she was closer to letting it happen.

She looked up into the sky. The clouds had mostly cleared now, and she knew that somewhere up there was a star called Finn Hudson. And even though she couldn’t see it right now, she knew it would always be out there, watching over her.

 

\-----------------------------------

Tina’s place, Brown University

\-----------------------------------

Tina woke to an urgent message from her bladder. She groggily shifted to get out of bed and found she couldn’t move very well… _oh, right, Mike is here!_  She carefully extricated herself from his embrace and slipped out to the bathroom.

When she came back to the bed, Mike was starting to wake up.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you,” she whispered, wriggling back down into the warm blankets.

“It’s ok, I have to get up soon anyway,” he murmured, kissing behind her ear. “I have to catch the train in just over an hour so I can be back in time for rehearsal this afternoon. I may have called in sick to the one on Saturday, so I definitely have to be at this one.”

“Wait, you skipped a rehearsal to be here with me?” Tina asked. “Rehearsal is important, you shouldn’t have done that. This is your career here.”

“No, this is one rehearsal of one show,” Mike smiled. “I’ve never missed one before, and the performance isn’t for a couple more months. I always work hard when I’m there, so even if I have to catch up a little today I’m sure I’ll be fine. Besides, it’s worth it because I got to spend the weekend with you.”

“Awwww.” Everything that had happened this weekend still felt a little surreal to Tina, and she slipped her arms around Mike to pull in closer, reassuring herself that it was really real. She nuzzled her head into his neck, and he kissed the top of her head.

A few minutes later Mike was up, moving quietly around the room collecting his things and putting them back into his bag. Tina sat on the bed watching him. She had always loved watching the way he moved. Even when he wasn’t dancing, there was a grace in his body that was so, so attractive. _And he’s mine again,_  she reminded herself. _All mine._  She grinned.

Mike zipped the bag shut and stood in the doorway, looking back at her.

“This, um, this might sound a little, um, abrupt,” Mike stammered. “Because it’s only been a couple of days… but before I go I wanted to tell you that I love you.”

Tina launched herself out of the bed and into his arms. “It’s not abrupt, Mike, it’s not like we’re strangers,” she murmured, squeezing him tightly. “And I love you too,” she added before stretching up on her toes to kiss him goodbye.

“Send me a ticket for your show. I want to come see it.”

He nodded, re-adjusting the bag strap on his shoulder as he turned to go. “Of course.”

“You’re gonna be so hot in drag,” she added with a playful slap to his backside as he stepped away. “I can’t wait to see you in fishnets.”

He glanced over his shoulder at her, cocking an eyebrow. “Really?”

“Oh yeah,” she winked. “Really.”

 

\-----------------------------------

The Singin’ Alamo, San Antonio, Texas

\-----------------------------------

It wasn’t unusual for men from the gym to drop into The Singin’ Alamo and ask for Lauren by name, hoping they could sweet talk her into giving them one on the house. It never worked, of course. Guys who are in training shouldn’t be drinking in the first place, she’d tell them. And she didn’t want to sabotage their training, because it was no fun to win by unfair advantage in the ring. She preferred to beat them fair and square – and she pretty much always did.

“C’mon, sweetheart. For me? I’ll take you out on a date next week if you give me a beer now.”  Erwin the Exterminator was leaning across the bar toward her – an easy feat for him, given he was so tall his waist naturally sat higher than the bartop. He reeked of alcohol, clearly having already gotten a good start before he’d even arrived here.

“No thank you,” she snorted at him. “I don’t work that kind of exchange. And I’m not so hard up I’d go on a date with you.” Lauren made it a general policy not to date other wrestlers – the possibility of meeting a lover in the ring might have a kinky appeal to it, but that particular thrill wasn’t worth the damage that competition could bring to a relationship.

Still, even if she didn’t have that policy, there’s no way she’d date Erwin. First, he was growing his hair long to make up for the expanding bald spot on the stop of his head, and it just looked awful, like a lion’s mane with the top half fallen off from mange. “Dude,” she’d told him more than once, “if you’re bald, be proud of it. Own it. Don’t go trying to disguise it. It just makes you look ashamed of yourself.” Second, she knew from conversations she’d overheard at the gym that he still had his mom do his laundry for him every weekend. He was far from being up to her standards.

“Why don’t you want to go on a date with me?” Erwin scrunched his eyebrows and peered down at her. “You a dyke?”

Lauren waggled her tongue out at him. “Ain’t no shame in licking pussy. You should try it sometime. But I doubt any woman would let you.”

“That’s right,” called a familiar voice to the left of her visual field. “No shame in munching carpet.” Lauren turned her head and saw Puck a few stools over from Erwin. Even with the new muscles from his Air Force training, Puck seemed puny in comparison to the wrestler. It was sort of cute, how tiny he looked. Not that she was going to tell him that.

Erwin stepped back from the bar. “I didn’t say there was anything wrong with it. Just trying to figure out why the lady would say no to a Grade-A hunk of steak like me. It don’t make no sense.”

“With that attitude, I’d be surprised if you ever got a date,” Puck said. “If you go around acting like women are lucky just to get to talk to you, it’s not showing much respect toward the woman now, is it?”

Lauren smiled at herself as she turned to an actual paying customer who’d just arrived at the bar and grabbed him a Shiner Bock. Puck had apparently grown up a lot since their days at McKinley.

By the time she was done with the order, Erwin had disappeared into a far corner. Puck was still at the bar, though, waiting patiently, wallet in hand. “What can I get you for, soldier?” she said.

“Can I get a firefly without the vodka?”

Lauren snickered. “You mean an iced tea?”

Puck leaned toward her and lowered his voice. “Yeah. But make it look like a firefly. I don’t want anyone from the base to see me with a soda glass and think I’m some kind of sissy.”

Hmmm. Maybe Puck hadn’t changed that much after all. “You the designated driver tonight?” Lauren said as she filled a small glass with ice.

“Nah. Came here by myself.”

“Ah. So you don’t want to be drinking by yourself, because that would be too pathetic?”

“Mmmm, more like, I don’t want to make a fool of myself in front of you like that loser just did.” Puck gestured toward Erwin with his head.

“Everybody makes a fool out of themselves in front of royalty like me.” Lauren handed Puck his iced tea.

“Well, that’s true. I’ve sure done it enough times.”

“And yet you’re about to make a fool out of yourself in front of me again, aren’t you, Puckerman?”

“Maybe.”

She eyed him sideways. “What?”

Puck grinned as he pulled a heart-shaped box out from where he’d been hiding it under his chair. “Happy Valentines Day, Lauren. Every awesome woman deserves a box of chocolates on Valentines Day.”

She accepted the box as he pushed it across the bar toward her, but she made sure to give him the stinkeye. She remembered the box of chocolates he’d given her in high school and how absolutely cheap and chalky every single one of them tasted.

“I gave you a box of chocolates once before, remember?” Puck said hopefully.

“Yeah,” she said. “I also remember that they all sucked.”

Puck took it in stride. “Well, I have a bigger chocolate-buying budget now. So these ones shouldn’t suck.”

“I guess we’ll see, won’t we?” She glanced both ways down the bar to make sure that no one else needed her at the moment. No one did, and she couldn’t help smiling as she pulled off the plastic wrapping and lifted the lid.

She had the first truffle halfway to her mouth when she stopped. “What’s in it for you?”

“I don’t know. Would it be foolish of me to ask you out on a date?”

Lauren bit into the truffle – _oh,_ it tasted _good_ – and gave Puck a hard look. He’d cleaned up nicely in the Air Force, and the fact that he wasn’t drinking any booze at the moment was a notch in his favor. Still, wanting to disguise his iced tea as a firefly? He still cared too much about what other people thought. “You’re not a fool to want me,” she said, pursing her lips into a cupid’s bow. “You’d be a fool not to. But I’m not foolish enough to go out with a guy like you.”

“I’ve got to be better than that guy who was hitting on you earlier.”

Lauren nodded. “I’ll give you that, but you have to admit that’s not saying much.”

“Then tell me why you won’t go out with me.”

Lauren put down the uneaten half of her truffle and tapped the side of Puck’s glass with her finger. “You’re not man enough to drink an iced tea in a honky-tonk without worrying what people are going to think about you.”

“Fine,” Puck said, pushing his drink toward her. “Give it to me in one of those tall plastic soda cups. I can handle it.”

Lauren raised an eyebrow. “You think so? What if some airman walks in here and calls you a name?”

“I’ll tell him real men know when to say when.”

“That’s a quick change of tune.” Lauren took Puck’s glass and set it in the bus tray, then grabbed a plastic cup and filled it from the soda machine.

“Yeah, well,” Puck said, “the longer I hang around you, the braver I get. I guess your confidence rubs off on me.”

Lauren turned around to hand Puck his iced tea. She waited for him to crack an innuendo about wanting more than just her confidence to rub all over him, but he didn’t make it. Another notch in his favor.

“Tell you what,” she said. “I don’t usually say yes to a guy who asks me out while he’s drinking at my bar, but considering you’re not actually drinking, and these chocolates are pretty damn decent –” She reached into the box and took the uneaten half of the truffle she’d started, popping it into her mouth and letting Puck sit there and squirm hopefully as it slowly melted against her tongue. It was fun watching him. He was pretty damn cute, like a puppy following a sit command in hopes of getting its toy. Well, fine. Puck was being good. She’d throw him the toy.

She swallowed the melted chocolate and winked at Puck. “I might consider hanging out with you sometime.”

Puck made a victorious air punch, but Lauren interrupted with a wag of her finger.

“But only if you take me somewhere nice. And don’t expect to get laid. This chocolate is better than the last box you got me, but it’s not _that_ good.”

Puck did a little two-step dance of joy all the way to his car.

 

\---------------------------------

Vallarta Supermarket, Los Angeles

\-----------------------------------

Mercedes had just started to scan the items from their cart at the Vallarta Supermarket self-checkout when Sam said, “There’s something I still need to get. I’ll be right back!”

Mercedes rolled her eyes and smiled. “Don’t think you’re going to get out paying for your groceries, boy. Two-thirds of this stuff is yours.”

“Nah,” Sam said, pulling out his wallet and handing it to Mercedes. “I won’t take long. And if I do, you have all my money.” With that, he disappeared to the far end of the grocery store in the blink of an eye. Mercedes had never taken the Secret Society of Superheroes Club very seriously, but she momentarily wondered if she should. Apparently the Blond Chameleon could run faster than a speeding bullet when he wanted to.

She had just begun to scan items again when a dahlia tickled the end of her nose. She looked up and saw a giant bouquet of maroon and yellow flowers. She looked further up and saw Sam looking down at her, a smile as big as Kansas stretching across his face. “These are for you,” Sam said. “In celebration of this momentous occasion.”

“Oh?” said Mercedes, amused. “What momentous occasion is that?”

“It’s our first time grocery shopping together since we lived in New York!”

Mercedes laughed. “Sam, you don’t have to get me flowers for _that,_ ”

Sam’s eyes went wide the way they always did when he was serious about something. “Oh, yes I do. I missed doing the little things with you. Those are the most important things to celebrate.”

Mercedes shook her head but couldn’t stop smiling. “You’re too much, Sam.”

“But you like that about me, don’t you?”

Mercedes stood on her tiptoes and kissed Sam’s cheek. “I love that about you.”

 

\-----------------------------------

Santana and Brittany’s apartment, Los Angeles

\-----------------------------------

Santana pulled Brittany closer and cuddled up to her. Santana wasn’t naturally a cuddler, but Brittany was and for some reason it was comforting right now.

Brittany yawned and stretched, rolling over and opening her eyes to look at her girlfriend. “G’morning,” she smiled.

“Hi,” Santana murmured, stroking her hand down the side of her sweetheart’s face. “I’m sorry I just went straight to bed last night. This whole last couple of weeks have been exhausting and it just felt so good to be home that I just passed out.”

“It’s ok,” Brittany shrugged. “You’ve been through a lot.” She touched her finger to the tip of Santana’s nose. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there to be with you. I feel bad…”

“No, no, it’s ok,” Santana assured her. “You got a gig–an amazing gig. I couldn’t take that away from you just to come to a funeral of someone who wouldn’t even accept you as my girlfriend.” She squeezed her again. “I’m really proud of you actually. You did get a video, right? You promised me you’d get a video of you dancing with Beyoncé!”

Brittany nodded, “yes, Mercedes took a video.”

Santana sighed. “It’s good that we have friends like Mercedes and Rachel who can be there when we can’t be there for each other. But I still wish I could have been here and you could have been there. I’d rather have you with me than anyone else, whether it’s good news or bad.”

Brittany stroked Santana’s hair. “You’re my best friend too, Santana,” she said. Santana had never been very good at saying her feelings, but at least she had gotten better at showing them. As Brittany had told her years before, relationships really were better with feelings. “I think we need to get away,” she announced. “Just the two of us, somewhere out of town for a day or two.”

Santana squinted at her. “What?”

“We need to take a vacation together.”

“Britt,” Santana said in exasperation, “I just got back. I’ve missed two weeks of work already, and I really shouldn’t miss more.”

“I know you just got back, but when you left you told Poise that you didn’t know how long you’d be away,” Brittany pointed out with a twinkle in her eye. “If we leave today, and come back in a day or two, they won’t even know that it was two separate trips.”

Santana couldn’t hold back the smile that blossomed across her face. “How did you get so smart?” she asked affectionately.

Brittany batted her eyelashes in mock humility. “Oh, I don’t know, I was just born this way, I guess.”

“Well, I love you for it,” Santana blurted, giving her a quick peck on the lips before virtually bounding out of the bed. “C’mon, let’s pack!”

Brittany chuckled, stretching one more time before slowly rolling out of bed herself. She grabbed her ipod, scrolling for a moment before [starting a song](https://youtu.be/hDuwkJwbN98?t=2s) and setting it in the speakers. She pulled a duffel bag out of the closet and opened it up to start packing, singing along with the song as she did so.

_You close the door and start the motor, I roll the window down._

Santana watched the blonde girl–no, woman–as she danced around the room in the spackled light of the rising sun. Brittany moved in such a carefree and lighthearted way, and it felt so good to be back home. Santana thought about how scared she had been a few years ago to come out and admit her feelings to Brittany. She was so glad she’d had the courage to finally do it though, because dating her best friend was the best thing in the world.

_I'm smiling on the surface, I'm scared as hell below._

“I even have an idea of where we can go,” Brittany said conspiratorially as she pushed hangers aside in the closet and selected a dress.

“Oh yeah?” Santana looked up from the handful of clothing she was pulling out of her suitcase to put in the laundry hamper so that she could repack.

“Mmm-hmmm.” Brittany and the dress danced back across the room to where the duffel bag rested on the bed.

_The hardest of goodbyes, you will dry my eyes._   
_Somehow you're always by my side._

“Are you going to tell me?” Santana opened her dresser drawer to pull out some clean clothes to pack.

“I think maybe this will be better as a surprise. Let me make a quick phone call and make sure it will work!”

Santana watched her glide into the other room, graceful and fluid, her long skirt swirling around her legs as she moved. She didn’t even care where they went, she knew it was going to be perfect because she would be with Brittany.

_ And no rear view could picture what we leave behind,  
So drive darling, drive darling, drive. _

_======================================================_

 

Thank you for reading this week's episode and supporting GSF! Next week prepare for... an episode filled with feelings...

[](http://de.tinypic.com?ref=kd8n7a)   
[](http://de.tinypic.com?ref=1zns9wl)   
[](http://de.tinypic.com?ref=xft7yt)   
[](http://de.tinypic.com?ref=33upf7t)

[ Cover art on tumblr available for reblogging here. ](http://gleeseasonfix.tumblr.com/post/115608049481/click-here-to-read-glee-season-fixs-episode-14)  
[ And here are the stills.](http://gleeseasonfix.tumblr.com/post/115515822456/gleeseasonfix-glee-season-fix-episode-stills)

[ Listen to our GSF play list on youtube.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOou5i3IVsU&list=PLROpgNDpvdlFsz1kMXL_byUttfy5XjJfI)

Songs:  
  
Sam: [Wherever You Will Go](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iAP9AF6DCu4) by The Calling  
Mike and Tina: [Something to Talk About](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQ39ASplNV4) by Bonnie Raitt  
Kurt and Blaine: [I’ll Cover You](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufXYxKw58RA) (from Rent) by Jonathan Larson  
Rachel: [If I Loved You](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owKTkrirDOw) (from Carousel) by Rodgers and Hammerstein (cover by Bernadette Peters)  
Puck: [Lady ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QumxOQganfo&feature=youtu.be&t=6s)by Styx  
Brittany and Santana: [Drive Darling](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDuwkJwbN98) by BOY


	15. I Gotta Feeling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Santana and Brittany have a well-deserved getaway. Kurt and Blaine will sure want a getaway after this episode, because they both get reminders of a past they don’t like to think about. Ryder deals with some douchebags, and he and Kitty figure out a way to help other kids who’ve been through ugly stuff.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written by [ gingerfic ](http://archiveofourown.org/users/gingerfic/pseuds/gingerfic), [ Wowbright ](http://archiveofourown.org/users/wowbright/pseuds/wowbright) and [ Soofreakincharmy ](http://soofreakincharmy.tumblr.com)  
> Beta by [ HKvoyage ](http://hkvoyage.tumblr.com) and [ alwaysfallingforanidea ](http://alwaysfallingforanidea.tumblr.com/)  
> Glee Season Fix (“GSF”) was written independently of spoilers about Glee Season 6. If songs or plots overlap, it’s due to coincidence or nature of the storylines that need resolution. If references pop up, we excuse ourselves for not being able to hold back.
> 
> Like on the show, GSF also includes songs and performances. There are links to full versions of each song, as well as a few pieces of lyrics quoted in the scene. We hope you will enjoy listening as well as reading, but be aware that the written version is shortened, whereas the audio versions are the full songs.
> 
> Content warning for discussions (not events) of several triggering issues, including transphobia, homophobia, severe bullying, sexual aggression and molestation, depression, and body dysmorphia; and a brief appearance of Karofsky.

_Here’s what you missed on Glee Season Fix…_

_Marley was bullied about her weight, and she’s been dealing with that, but sometimes she’s still self-conscious about her body. Kurt and Blaine have both been bullied for being gay, but they’ve never really talked about how that affects the way they relate to people – including each other._

_Speaking of not talking about things, remember when Ryder and Kitty found out they had a bad experience in common, and instead of showing sympathy, a bunch of boys in the Glee Club congratulated Ryder for losing his virginity at such a young age? And then it never got mentioned again? Yeah, Ryder remembers that, too._

_Quinn doesn’t talk much about the fact that she had a baby named Beth when she was 16, but she’s not hiding it from anyone. It just doesn’t come up much, because other than sending cards and presents to Beth sometimes, they don’t communicate much. That’s mostly because Quinn tried to get Beth’s adoptive mom, Shelby, in trouble with the law a while back and Quinn’s pretty embarrassed about that whole episode now. There is also the awkward twist that Shelby is Rachel’s mom, and that Rachel has just made arrangements to become her new roommate._

_Santana could use a break from talking about sad stuff because her abuela just died without resolving any of the negativity between them. Rachel went to the funeral in Lima because she’s working on being a supportive friend. Some people say Rachel thinks only about herself, but she’s going to prove them wrong._

February 2015

\-----------------------------------

Downhill from Feeling Good Spa, near Los Angeles

\-----------------------------------

“My legs, I can feel them now!” Santana exclaimed as she left the car and stretched her legs. The drive hadn’t been that long, but after days of sitting constantly, both in cramped airplane seats or in slightly more spacious cars, Santana felt restless at the idea of having to sit down for even a second.

“Great because we still have to go up that hill,” Brittany said pointing at the dirt road going up.

“Nope, nope-a-tee-nope nope, I am not going to walk on that road in _heels_ Britt. It’s just wrong.”

“It’s either that or you have to sit in the car again and we’re doing the whole journey back to LA,” Brittany retorted calmly.

“You make a pretty convincing case, but I thought we were going to have relaxing days off, not torture hiking.”

“We’re going to relax. The Feeling Good Spa is on the top of the hill.”

Santana held back a snort. “Feeling Good Spa? Seriously Britt?”

“What? It had pretty good reviews on Goodreads!”

“So Feeling Good Spa is a book?”

“No silly, Lady Tubbington wrote a whole book about how this is the best relaxing spa in North America.”

“Lady Tubbington? Your cat? For some reason I thought that massive ball of fur lived with Sam.”

“No Tana, she couldn’t stand Sam after he left her in a locker for half a day. Her feelings were seriously hurt and she went into tuna withdrawal. It was pretty serious.”

“So why do we only have one massive ball of fur at home and not two?”

“Well, Lady Tubbington doesn’t like planes and Lord Tubbington couldn’t convince her to fly here with us, at all, so she decided she was going to meet us later in LA.”

“How did the lady cat manage such a feat?”

“Oh, she hitchhiked,” Brittany affirmed as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

“Ok, ok, so now one of your cats lives here? Doesn’t that make it a spa for cats?”

“No, it has cat therapy. Everyone knows cats are the most effective way to get someone out of a funk! And you, Santana Lopez, are going to experience catherapy.”

Santana burst out laughing, feeling better already.

\-----------------------------------

New York City

\-----------------------------------

Rachel came home to find she’d left her underwear drawer half-open in the rush to pack for Lima. In most apartments, that wouldn’t be a big deal. But with a ferret in the household, it was a _disaster_. The little bastard had discovered the open drawer and decided that underpants were the world’s greatest treasure. Rachel found pairs stuck in holes in the wall where Draco had tried to pull them through, as well as a few pairs in the nest he kept under the living room sofa. The rest, though, were nowhere to be found.

“Where did you put my panties, Draco?” she whispered menacingly. She was kneeling on the floor next to the papasan chair, where he’d curled up for a nap.

Predictably, Draco didn’t respond. The ferret tended to sleep like a stone, completely oblivious to anyone’s presence. Rachel could have launched into “[Don’t Rain on My Parade](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xuIDbrZv4g)” in her biggest Broadway voice and he would have kept on snoozing. He looked deceptively innocent and cuddly, not like the scheming Satan spawn Rachel knew him to be.

“Fine,” she said, standing up and brushing her hands together as if wiping them clean. “I’ve had enough of you and your ways. One of has to go, Buster, and if it’s not you –”

A peel of laughter came from Kaye and Anna’s bedroom. Rachel hadn’t realized anyone else was home. They must have been asleep when she came in.

Rachel glanced at the doorknob to make sure there was no “do not disturb” bra dangling from it. It was clear. “Good morning, ladies!” Rachel called, even though it was the afternoon. Both of the girls tended to work night shifts, so it likely was morning for them. Rachel sank down on the couch so she could inspect between the cushions for any underwear Draco might have left there.

“Morning!” Anna called back. Then, in a lower voice that Rachel may or may have not been meant to hear, “Kaye, you told me she wasn’t getting back until tomorrow. How are we supposed to do that naked pole dancer roleplay in the living room like we talked about? I don’t want _her_ watching.”

That was followed by murmurs, and then Kaye’s amused voice, “You’re insatiable, darling. Our session on the couch last night wasn’t enough for you?”

Rachel jumped up from the couch like someone had just electrified her. She ran to the bathroom to wash her hands. If Draco _had_ hidden any of her underwear between the couch cushions, it would just have to stay there.

In her room, she picked up her phone and made a call. She was relieved when the call didn’t go to voicemail as she expected it to.

“Rachel,” Shelby said. “It’s good to hear from you.”

“It’s not a bad time? I wasn’t sure if you’d be working right now.”

“Nope, it’s fine. How did your trip go?” Shelby said. Or at least, that’s what Rachel thought Shelby said. It was hard to hear her over the creaking of springs coming from the next room. Rachel could have sworn Kaye and Anna hadn’t started having sex before she’d dialed the phone. She’d better make this phone call quick before the moaning and screaming began.

“It was ok,” Rachel said. She thought about saying more, but even though Shelby was technically her mother, she really didn’t know her all that well. Talk about the mourning process could wait until they’d gotten to know each other better. “Sorry, I had to leave town on such short notice. Is the room still available?”

“Of course it is. I wasn’t just looking for any random person to come live with us.” Shelby laughed, as if the idea of anyone but Rachel moving in was absurd. Rachel felt a warm glow in her chest. “When were you thinking of moving in?”

“Well, I never got around to fully unpacking all my stuff here, so it wouldn’t take me long to pack it up again for another move. So I’m ready whenever you are.” Rachel said eagerly. Then she remembered Kurt telling her that sometimes her eagerness came off as pushiness. “Of course if you need time, I can stay here for a while still.” She bit her tongue to keep from complaining about the ferret.

“Well, I still need to move a few things out of the room, so maybe –”

Whatever Shelby said next, Rachel couldn’t hear because of the 100-decibel scream coming from the next room.

“What was that?” Shelby said. “Is someone hurt?”

Another scream, this one louder. “Um, no, everything’s fine. Just my roommates –” A third, ear-piercing holler was followed by _Oh yeah baby, like that, oh god yeah_  and the pounding of the headboard against the wall. And Rachel had thought Kurt and Blaine were intolerable. She shook her head. “Just my roommates having sex.”

“Wow. It sounds like Ethel Merman giving birth to the Empire State Building.”

No sooner than Shelby spoke, another shout of pleasure pierced Rachel’s eardrums. “It sure does, doesn’t it?”

“Well, I’d been planning to ask you to give me a couple of weeks to clear out the guest room, but if you don’t mind helping me with that, we could get you in here sooner. And maybe we’ll save your eardrums in the process.”

“Thanks, Shelby. That would be great.” Rachel collapsed on her bed in relief. It was then that she noticed a lump in the comforter, just under the pillows. She reached her hand under the comforter cover to find a nest of cotton panties .

“Draco!” she hollered at the top of her lungs. She was drowned out by more noise from Kaye and Anne.

\-----------------------------------

Lima, Ohio

\-----------------------------------

“Marley, what is taking you so long? I want to see how dazzling you look in that [dress](http://www.jadegowns.co.uk/fuchsia-a-line-prom-dresses-with-crystals.html)”

“Hmm, I’m not sure this is the one Unique,” Marley called out from her dressing room.

“Girl, this is a Sadie Hawkins dance, not your wedding. Come on, let me see it!”

“I’ll only show you mine if you show me yours!”

Unique chuckled. “No way! I'm not trying anything on because I planned my ensemble months ago! My dress is so stunning that people will faint when they see it. The response will only be heightened by the surprise effect.”

“That’s evil!”

“Marley, get out of that dressing room!”

“Fine,” Marley mumbled. She stepped out in a body-hugging fuchsia dress with a floor-length a-line skirt, shimmering train, and rhinestones accents along the waist that sparkled like snow. She was gorgeous – well, except for the way her face wrinkled up in self-doubt. “I told you pink wasn’t my color.”

Unique clucked her tongue. “First, that is fuchsia. Second, it’s _so_ totally your color.”

“It makes me look even paler!”

“Which brings out the blue in your eyes. Marley, you have known me for more than two years now. I thought you trusted my fashion advice.” Unique twisted her face into a pout. “I am hurt”

“Oh don’t be, I love you!” she jumped to hug Unique.

“Ok ok...”

“I still don’t think I can pull off this look though, and the  neckline feels a little too low," Marley said, pulling the top part of the dress upwards.

“Stop that! You'll ruin the dress!"

Marley settled by crossing her arms over her chest.

“You’re not going to believe me if I told you it looks absolutely perfect, are you?”

Marley shook her head.

“Then it’s time to bring in the cavalry! Marley, strike a pose.”

“You are so not taking a picture of me in this! Look! It doesn’t even fit!”

“Marley, sweetie, it fits. It looks great. And since you don’t believe me, I’m going to ask for a professional opinion.”

“Professional?”

“Mr. Kurt Hummel himself.”

“Blaine’s fiancé? Why would he offer us advice? We don’t even know him.” Marley was reluctantly moving to a pose.

“You don’t know him, but I do. Besides, he’s totally awesome and almost as fabulous as I am.”

“That’s a hard one.”

“I know. It's hard to believe, isn't it? But now stop talking and let me take silly pictures of you in a pink dress.”

“It’s _fuchsia,_ ” Marley said with a defiant laugh.

“My baby girl is finally growing. I don’t know if I’m entirely ready for this moment.” Unique wiped a non-existent tear from the corner of her eye.

“Would you stop being silly?”

“Never.”

“I thought you wanted to take pictures of me.”

“I thought you had decided you wanted to erase that dress from memory.”

“Well, I could use the opinion of a ‘professional.’”

“Marley, you are making me so proud I may actually weep,” Unique said as she snapped some pictures.

"While we wait for the professional to voice opinion, how about I change into my regular clothes, shall I?"

"You shall, child. I'll wait for you here."

"You better."

\-----------------------------------

NYADA, New York City

\-----------------------------------

Blaine stepped out of the dance studio to head toward the showers. Classes were finally over for the day, but Blaine had reserved a practice room where he could spend some time with just himself and a well-tuned piano to work on his Cabaret Performance homework.

It took a moment for Blaine to register that the chirping birds he heard behind his shoulder were not actual birds, but rather Kurt’s phone going off in Blaine’s gym bag. Kurt had left it at the loft this morning, so Blaine had brought it to campus in hopes of passing it off to him there. But by the time Blaine arrived at NYADA, Kurt’s morning class had already let out and Kurt was long gone.

Blaine took Kurt’s phone out to see if it was anything urgent. He smiled when he saw Unique’s  smiling icon and a photo of Marley in a gorgeous floor-length dress. He was so taken by the color that he had a fleeting fantasy about expanding the red-and-yellow scheme for his upcoming wedding. He pictured Rachel and Mercedes in matching fuchsia dresses, a hall decked with hot pink cleomes and zinnias, fuschia jackets on the best men ...

The phone chirped again.

**Unique: Need your opinion on dress 4 SADIE HAWKINS!!!!!**

Blaine snapped out of his reverie. He clicked the phone off and put it in his bag. He would tell Kurt about it later.

\-----------------------------------

Lima, Ohio

\-----------------------------------

"So what's the verdict on the dress?" Marley asked as she was adjusting her sweater.

“Mr. Hummel was unavailable. Probably too busy being fabulous, but I’m certain he would agree that you look perfect. It's the one!”

"I thought this was a school dance, not my wedding, Unique," Marley said, echoing the earlier words from the other girl.

"Shh," Unique replied with a dismissive wave.

"Besides, the dress is way too expensive."

"I guess I'm glad I took those pictures then! Marley, you are wearing that dress at the dance!"

“But…”

"I'm going to make you your dress." Marley’s jaw dropped. “What, are you surprised I can sew?”

"I knew you could do tiny repairs. Full dresses? That's a new one."

"How do you think I get my clothes?"

"Are you telling me you make all your own clothes?"

"Jackpot! It's not like I can find anything that fits." Unique's tone had turned a tad bitter.

"Why? There's nothing wrong with your body!"

"Weight wise? Not one bit. But I still have the body of a boy and girl clothes, as much as it pains me, are not made for bodies like mine."

"Ohh," Marley went in for a hug for the second time that afternoon.

"You're a lucky one, Marley Rose. Celebrate your body."

"I'm getting there. It's becoming easier to accept my body as it is. That spot where I have cellulitis? That's alright. Growth-spurt stretch marks? Free lightning tattoos. The ideas of skinny perfection that are shoved down our throats are still hard to forget, but I'm not going back to starving myself, or throwing up whatever enters my mouth," Marley stated, a determined gleam in her eyes.

"That's my girl! And speaking of acceptance, remember how my parents used to send me to ‘camps for boys who dress like girls’?" Marley nodded in acknowledgement. Feisty as her friend was, this was a sore subject for her and Unique rarely mentioned her parents. Unique accepted herself in a way that was rare amongst teenagers, assuming her identity without hesitation. That's why it was so hard for her to recognize that others didn't.

"They finally agreed it's useless, and though it's taken them years, they have finally accepted they have a daughter and not a son."

"They shouldn't just accept you. They should be proud of you."

"One step at the time. Maybe at some point later in life things will be different and this won't be a subject they avoid, but for now they're letting me start to transition!" Unique couldn't keep the excited tone of her voice when she told Marley about this. It was still very recent and she didn't want to let her hopes up in case something went wrong or her parents changed their minds.

"That's amazing!"

"I'm dreaming of the day when my body matches my identity," Unique said with a hopeful smile.

"I'm dreaming of the day when I can look at myself in the mirror and not pick at my flaws, but for now, I'll be as well as I can," Marley added. She grabbed Unique’s hand and started to [sing](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJL4UGSbeFg).

_Let's go girls! Come on._

They both giggled. Unique had long accepted who she was, even when everyone told her she was delusional. You're a boy, they had told her, but she knew better. Marley dragged her out of the store and into the main section of the mall. Always one for an opportunity to perform, Unique joined her in the song.

 _Oh, oh, oh, I wanna be free-yeah, to feel the way I feel_   
_Man! I feel like a woman!_

Marley was on the road to acceptance but she was on the right path. For a long time she had been so afraid of what might happen with her body in the future that she didn’t allow herself to enjoy the present. But she was doing better. Not perfect, but better.

 _The best thing about being a woman_   
_Is the prerogative to have a little fun_

Unique strutted down the wide mall corridor like she owned the place. Marley felt self-conscious, but since Unique was singing people were going to look at them anyway, so she took a deep breath, put on her performance smile, and sang louder. Unique glanced over approvingly, and hand-in-hand they continued out toward the doors.

_Oh, oh, oh, I wanna be free-yeah, to feel the way I feel_

Both girls collapsed on a bench in a pile of giggles.

_Man! I feel like a woman!_

\-----------------------------------

Brooklyn Roasting Company, New York City

\-----------------------------------

Kurt set his latte and biscotti on the table as he sat down across from Artie. They both had no classes on Tuesday afternoons, and when Kurt didn’t have to work at the diner they liked to meet up at the Brooklyn Roasting Company for marathon study sessions. They were ideal study partners, because they would actually _study_ when they were together instead of frittering away the afternoon on gossip, only taking a short chat break every hour or so to give their overtaxed brains a break.

“What are you working on today?” Kurt said.

“Script revisions,” Artie said, looking up from his computer screen and tapping at the fat stack of paper nestled between his laptop and mug of black coffee. Red ink marked the lines of black typeface. “I got peer workshop comments back today.”

“Were they helpful? Or just douchebags?” Kurt had done a few scriptwriting workshops of his own at NYADA and, while the feedback was usually valuable, some students mainly used critiquing to foist their artistic visions on everyone else in the class. One student in his second-year workshop had been a devotee of David Mamet. She had been especially harsh in her comments on Kurt’s upbeat children’s musical about two gay penguins and their baby, scratching out so many lines and inserting so many others that, if he’d incorporated them, his play would have turned into an f-bomb-laden dark comedy about the Japanese Mafia.

Artie shrugged. “Enough of them were helpful. I feel like I have a better idea of where I should go with this whole thing.”

“Good.” Kurt reached into his satchel for his phone, then remembered he’d left it at the loft that morning. “Hey, Artie, can you do me a favor and text Blaine to let him know I’m with you in case he needs to get a hold of me? I forgot my phone at home.”

“Sure thing,” said Artie, grabbing his phone from the tabletop and tapping a message in on it’s screen.

It buzzed with a reply a minute later. Artie chuckled when he read the message.

“What?” Kurt said.

“Blaine says he has your phone with him at NYADA if you need it.”

Kurt shook his head. “What’s so funny about that?”

“That’s not the funny part. He also said I should give you a kiss for him.” Artie batted his eyes demurely. “Sorry, I can’t comply. I’m interested in someone else.”

“Oh?” Kurt’s eyes practically bugged out of his head with excitement. “Who? Anyone I know? Do tell!”

Artie ignored the questions. “If a guy wanted to take someone out on a classy first date around here, where would it be?”

“I’m no expert. I’ve only been on one _first_ date in New York, and it was to a coffee shop. I don’t think that counts as classy.”

“Yeah, but you’ve been on lots of dates here. So I thought you could recommend something.”

“So have you. Last year alone I remember – what were their names?” Kurt looked up toward the ceiling and started counting the women off with his fingers: “Vanessa, and Jessica, and the cute one with the red hair, and –”

Artie leaned forward and whispered conspiratorially. “Yeah, but I never really went on dates with any of them. We just sort of… _slept together_ , you know?”

That got Kurt’s attention. “Oooh,” he said, straightening in his chair and rubbing his hands gleefully together. “So this is someone _special?_ Like, fireworks-and-wedding-cakes special?”

Artie rolled his eyes. “I should have known better than to ask the town gossip about this.”

“Oh please. I won’t tell anyone except –” Kurt waved a hand in the air, as if swatting his previous thought away. “You’re right. I’ll tell everyone. Unless you’re thinking of asking a guy out? I respect the closet.”

Artie shook his head. “No, I’m not thinking of asking a guy out.” He paused, scrunching his eyebrows together as if to give it some thought. “Why, did you think I would?”

Kurt raised his eyebrows and tilted his head to the side. It made him look more impish than usual. “I don’t know. You’ve been harboring a crush on Blaine all these years. I’ve never been clear on if it’s more like the crush I have on Taylor Lautner, or the crush I have on Meryl Streep.”

“Oh my god. I do _not_ have a crush on Blaine. He’s my _muse_. There’s a big difference.”

Kurt gave Artie a pointed look.

“Fine. Well maybe the teeniest, tiniest man-crush, but –”

Artie never got to finish what he was saying because he was interrupted by a man’s voice booming through the coffee shop: “Oh my god, is that Kurt Hummel?!?”

Kurt didn’t turn around to see who the voice belonged to. He didn’t have to. He would recognize that voice anywhere. Kurt had the crawling skin to prove it.

Across the table, Artie’s jaw hung slack.

Kurt felt a large, cool hand on his shoulder. He shivered. “Dude, I can’t believe it! In a city of 8 million, and I run into you! It must be, like, fate or something.”

Kurt took a deep breath and turned toward the voice. Karofsky towered over him, smiling like they were long lost friends. “Hi David,” he said with forced calmness. “What a surprise to see you here.”

\-----------------------------------

Feeling Good Spa, near Los Angeles

\-----------------------------------

Brittany and Santana sat side by side on a pair of lounge chairs on their private deck, soaking up the warm sunshine. Their hands were clasped, hanging in the space between them.

“I want to live here,” Santana moaned. “I want to lay in the sun and eat fruit and imported chocolate and expensive bottled water every day.”

“I think that if we ask Lady Tubbington she’ll let us stay for a while longer.”

“Lady Tubbington runs the place now?”

“Yeps, she just got promoted.”

“I think you need to get me filled in on her story.”

“First she got on the train from Ohio to New York, but by the time she got there I was on tour with Mercedes and you had moved to LA, so she decided to tour the country by paw. Since then, she’s visited all the spas in the United States and decided this was the best one and applied to the job of catherapist. I’ll let you in on a secret though,” Brittany leaned over Santana conspiratorially. “I think she used her powers of manipulation to convince the owners to give her the job. She’s not that great at catherapy.”

“Secret manipulative powers? That sounds like something Trouty Mouth could come up with.”

“It’s serious Tana! She was able to get Lord Tubbington to stop smoking for a while!”

“Ok, I’m starting to be concerned about your cat’s possible influence on us.”

“Oh don’t worry, she’s one of the good guys. She works for the CIA, Cat Intelligence Agency.”

“Then what is a CIA agent doing at the Feeling Good Spa?”

“I have no idea, for all I know she just wants a shot at a normal life.”

“Sounds reasonable,” Santana sighed, closed her eyes and tried to go back to relax mode.

“Santana?”

“Yes Britt?”

“Do you think catherapy is working?”

“Yeah I think so, why?”

“It’s just that you do seem happier than you were a few days ago, but I still feel like you’re just pretending so I will feel better.” Santana wondered, as she did often, when did her girlfriend get so smart.

“Look, Britt...”

“Santana, you know I hate when people are condescending with me. I know I’m a unicorn and I’m one of the chosen few that sees the magic in the world, but just because you don’t doesn’t mean I’m wrong,” she reached for Santana’s face, “and I’m not wrong about this.”

“Fine!” Santana was a fan of avoiding hard topics until they disappeared, but her girlfriend? Not as much. “I’m not ok, but if I pretend I am for just long enough then I will be, ok? There’s no need to worry.”

“But I do worry Tana. I know your abuela’s death shook you and you need to talk about it. It’s not good for you to be bitter and I only want the best for you.”

“Look, it’s true, it affected me that we didn’t part in good terms. It really hurt me to see someone who meant so much to me be gone without me having the chance to say a proper goodbye. I guess that when someone dies, or is about die, you just want to make sure they leave with the best memories they could,” Santana’s eyes were glistening with tears and her voice betrayed her emotion. “And I realize I sound as deep and pretentious as Mr. Shue,” she added with a small laugh.

Brittany decided that a hug was the best approach. “I’ll make sure you won’t need your last moments to have good memories.”

“Oh I know, Britt! And I love you for that and everything else!” Santana leaned in and kissed her girlfriend. “But if there’s one thing I learned from this is that we can’t go back.”

Brittany opened her mouth as if she was going to say something, but Santana continued.

“I know Santa has a time machine and that’s how he delivers the presents to everyone in time, but I don’t want to go back. Memories are something we cover in cheap shimmer and glitter so we can make ourselves feel better when we look back on our lives. They shift our focus from the present. But I’m not going to do that. As much as I loved her, she rejected me for who I was. _That’s_ the truth..”

“You know what? I’m glad you were honest with me. I know it’s super hard for you because you’ve always been this super tough girl, which I think it’s hot by the way, and you don’t want anyone to see you as weak.” She squeezed Santana’s hand, drawing her focus so that they were looking at each other. “But you are not weak Santana. It takes a lot of strength to accept ourselves when others don’t, and even more to cut off those toxic, unaccepting people.”

“Thank you Brittany, that means a lot to me. Maybe Abuela didn’t accept me but there are so many amazing people who do and that’s what I should be focused on. I love myself and I have amazing people who love me. That’s what matters.” Santana moved to Brittany’s lounge chair and let herself be held for a while. It had felt good to get the words off her chest, but it didn’t mean the harsh truth didn’t hurt. It always did. It was all about living past it and enjoying the present. Speaking of which...

“We have a couples massage booked in fifteen minutes, we’d better go.”

“Ok.” The blonde sat up, shaking out her hair and stretching as she prepared to go inside.

“Hey Brittany?” Santana squinted up at her.

“Yeah?”

“I love you.”

“I love you too, Tana.” She leaned down and pressed a quick peck to her girlfriend’s cheek. “Let’s go.”

\-----------------------------------

Brooklyn Roasting Company, New York City

\-----------------------------------

“Oh my god,” Kurt sighed after Dave left the coffee shop. Their conversation had lasted only a couple of minutes, and was mostly polite small talk – Dave going happily on about the sights he was planning to see during his few days in New York, and his sports management major, and being gay – but still. “That was at least a six on the Richter scale of awkward.”

“I’d put it closer to a seven,” Artie said.

“Isn’t seven getting to massive destruction?” Kurt said. “I wouldn’t put it at that. Just – uncomfortable.”

“Eh, I’m sticking with seven. I know I should be over what he did to all of us in high school, but I still have the urge to massively destroy his face.”

Kurt shrugged sadly. “I wasn’t happy to see him. But at least he seemed happy. The last time I saw him, he’d just gotten off suicide watch. Being out and alive is a significant improvement.”

 ****“That’s true.” Artie took a sip of his now-cold coffee and studied Kurt. “But sometimes I wonder: If people hadn’t thrown slushies at me in high school, and shoved me into lockers, and bent the spokes in my wheelchair, and locked me in portapotties – I don’t know. Maybe I’d be a nicer person.”

“You don’t think it helped you sympathize with the underdog?”

“I _am_ the underdog, yo.” Artie gestured at his wheelchair.

“True,” Kurt said. “I forget.”

“I don’t know, sometimes I just think I’ve got too much anger left over from all that stuff. I’m not usually that nice to people unless I want to get in their pants.”

“So _that’s_ why you’re so nice to Blaine,” Kurt said with a wicked wink.

Artie picked up his manuscript and whacked Kurt on the arm with it. “Oh my _god_ , boy, not everyone’s in love with your fiancé. Some of us just appreciate him for his talent.”

“Talent?” Kurt laughed. “Is that film-school slang for ‘booty’?

Artie glared at Kurt, fighting to suppress a laugh. “You’re the worst. I don’t know why I even hang out with you.”

“Because I’m the best. That’s why.”

\-----------------------------------

McKinley High School Boys Locker Room, Lima, Ohio

\-----------------------------------

Basketball practice had let out early, and the guys in the locker room were taking their time, teasing and talking as they got ready to go home. Ryder never had been one to talk much, so he stayed in front of his locker, minding his own business as he gathered his things. However he couldn’t help overhearing some of the other guys.

“I saw you with her again today,” Brandon teased, flicking his towel in Tim’s direction. “Are you two official yet?”

“Yeah,” Tim grinned. “We’re official.”

“She’s hot,” Brandon nodded approvingly.

“Yeah,” Tim agreed, “she totally is.”

“She puttin’ out for ya yet?” Brandon asked next. Ryder opened his locker and stepped in close to it, partially hiding behind the door. He hated when the guys got on to topics like this. He always felt awkward about their openness, and he wanted to just avoid it.

“No,” Tim admitted. “We’ve talked about it but she said she’s not ready yet.”

“Dude!” Brandon nearly shouted. “Girls always say that. It’s just an excuse. If she’s holding out on you, you gotta push a little.”

“I don’t know…” Tim hesitated, “isn’t that kind of–”

“Hey,” Brandon interrupted, “with those little short skirts she wears all the time, it’s obvious she wants it. You just need to slip your hand up her leg under the skirt sometime and she’ll--”

“No!” Ryder slammed the locker door.

The room went silent as nineteen heads all swiveled toward him.

“Excuse me?” Brandon exclaimed. “I wasn’t talking to you.”

“It doesn’t matter who you were talking to,” Ryder said, clearing his throat and trying to keep his nerves at bay as Brandon glared at him. “It’s not ok to talk about someone that way. If someone says no, then that means no. No one ever has a right to force themselves on someone else.”

“Oh looook,” Brandon sneered, turning back to face the group. “The _virgin_ thinks he knows how to get a girl.”

“I know how to get consent, which is the most important part.” Ryder’s voice had gotten louder, and he realized that not only was everyone looking at him, but many of them seemed to be genuinely paying attention. His courage bolstered, he pushed on. “It’s not about what you want or who you want it with, it’s about making sure that both people consent to whatever they do together.” He took a deep breath and looked around the room again. “Forcing someone into something is sexual assault. Period.”

Brandon didn’t seem to be able to think of a comeback for that, because he threw his bag over his shoulder and strode out of the locker room. A couple of guys followed him, and a lot more turned back to whatever they had been doing before.

Ryder stood there, still somewhat in shock at his own gumption and not quite sure what to do next, until he felt someone tap him on the shoulder. It was Tim.

“Hey,” he said softly. “That stuff Brandon was saying, it didn’t seem right to me, but I didn’t know what to say to him. So thanks for speaking up for me, and for her, and for all the girls out there.”

“And guys,” Ryder added, unable to stop himself. “Guys get assaulted too.”

“Right, and guys,” Tim nodded awkwardly. “Sure.”

“You’re welcome,” Ryder smiled, relieved, and clapped Tim on the shoulder.

Tim gave Ryder a good thump back. “Let me know if anybody else says something to you about it,” he added, gathering up his things as he prepared to go. “You were right to say what you did, and I’ve got your back.”

“Thanks, man.”

 

\-----------------------------------

Mercedes and Sam’s apartment, Los Angeles

\-----------------------------------

Making out with Sam was every bit as good as Mercedes remembered, but the arm of her couch was every bit as uncomfortable too. When her neck started to ache she pushed him back and sat up. He grinned at her, his eyes shining and his lips pink and moist and oh god she wanted those lips…

“Babe?”

“Yeah?”

“What do you say we move this to the bed?” she gestured over her shoulder toward the queen-size bed in the corner. (She really needed to move out of this studio and get a bigger place now that there were two of them here.)

“Are you sure? I mean I know we both sleep in there, but we’ve always had a strict rule about not making out in the bed…”

“Well that was _my_ rule,” Mercedes looked over at him through lowered lashes, “and maybe I feel like changing it tonight.” She ran her finger along the edge of his collar, then up the side of his neck and along his chin. He closed his eyes, clearly enjoying the feeling.

“Ok, I guess we could do that. If you’re sure.”

Mercedes smiled at him, then moved to stand but Sam caught his breath suddenly. He clasped her hand and held her back. “Wait, Mercedes, there’s a reason you made that rule.”

“Yes, there was,” she nodded. “I felt like it would be easier to keep things from getting too heated if we stayed off the bed.”

“Aaaaand?” he looked at her expectantly.

“Well, maybe I’m starting to feel a little differently about the ambient temperature we have going on here,” she pushed out her lower lip in an exaggerated pout.

He stared at her for a moment before understanding dawned on his face. “Oh, Mercedes, no!”

She was taken aback at his response. “Are you saying you don’t want to?”

“No no no no, Mercedes, I would _love_ to have sex with you. I mean, I really want to.”

She blinked at him, confused.

“But there’s a reason you made the decision to wait until you’re married. And as much as I want to be with you that way, I am willing to wait for you.”

“Well maybe I don’t want to keep waiting,” she murmured, leaning in. She slipped her hand inside the lower edge of his shirt and ran her fingertips up his back. He shivered, his muscles rippling under her touch. His eyes fell shut for a moment before flying open again.

“Mercedes, wait,” he said firmly, grabbing her wrists and pulling them away from his body before slipping his fingers between hers so that their hands were clasped between them. “Look, this is a big decision. This is something that is important for you–for us.” He squeezed her hands. “And as much as I would _love_ to make love to you right now, I think we both know that in the moment isn’t the time to make a decision like this.”

He dropped her hands and stood up, walking over to the window to put some space between them. He stared out into the dark night for a minute before he took a deep breath and turned back to her. “You turned to prayer to decide before, so maybe you should do that again.”

Mercedes sat in stunned silence for a moment. She hadn’t really planned to come on to him so hard or so fast, but even if she had planned it, she would have imagined the situation going differently. For a moment she was surprised, but then she wasn’t. This was the man she had fallen in love with: the man who respected her enough to make sure they were both comfortable with everything that happened between them, so that neither of them would ever have to regret anything. Sam really was a one in a million kind of boyfriend. She went to him and buried her face in his shoulder. “You’re right, Sam.” She shook her head as she smiled. “Thank you for helping me think clearly about this.”

He held her close and they rocked back and forth in a vague approximation of a slow dance. “Please let me know what you decide though,” he muttered into the top of her head as he hugged her. “I really am _totally_ down with a change in plans. I just need to know that you are too.”

\-----------------------------------

Lima, Ohio

\-----------------------------------

**Ryder to Kitty: Got a minute?**

**Kitty to Ryder: Sure, what’s up?**

**Ryder: I kinda told off a bunch of guys about rape culture and consent in the locker room yesterday after practice**

**Kitty: oh wow**

**Ryder: I know**

**Kitty: are you ok? like it didn’t trigger flashbacks or anything?**

**Ryder: yeah I’m ok**

**Ryder: but it got me thinking**

**Kitty: about what?**

**Ryder: some of those guys were saying stuff because they just didn’t know any better**

**Kitty: I see that a lot**

**Ryder: we could do something about that**

**Kitty: ????**

**Ryder: I have an idea. Can you meet me at Breadstix after school today?**

**Kitty: sure**

**Kitty: see you at 4**

\-----------------------------------

Los Angeles

\-----------------------------------

The masseuses stepped out of the room at the end of their couples’ massage, and Santana sighed contentedly.

“That was amazing,” Brittany mumbled a few feet to her right, her face still buried in the padded table. “I have been so sore these last couple of weeks. Those dance rehearsals for Beyoncé were intense!”

“Yeah,” Santana sat up, letting the modesty sheet slide off her body and pulling the fluffy white robe around herself instead. She slipped her feet into the provided slippers (really, this place had everything). “Shall we go back to our room?”

Brittany rolled over, smirking flirtatiously. “I want to try the steam room.”

“Right now?”

Brittany nodded. “I heard one of the staff say that nobody ever goes in there at this time of day. We would have it totally to ourselves.”

“Oh, that sounds nice,” Santana smiled and tightened the waist tie on her robe.

“No, Tana, I don’t think you understood me,” Brittany was putting on her own robe now. “I said we would have a _hot, steamy_ room to _ourselves._ ”

Brittany grinned as she watched the realization spread across Santana’s face.

“C’mon,” Brittany giggled, grabbing Santana’s hand and pulling her toward the door.

\---

Mercedes dug her toes into the sand, grateful that Los Angeles was warm, even in February. She watched the waves roll in and out along the beach to either side of her. She had come to walk here alone today so she could think.

The problem was that the more she thought about it, the more she felt confused. Saving sex for marriage was important to her. It was something she had wanted for a long time. But now that she had Sam right here, and he was so caring and gentle and respectful of her, not to mention so damn sexy… Well that whole waiting thing was feeling less appealing by the minute. She had never been far enough into a relationship to actually want sex before. It had always been easy to say that she wanted to wait because in the past she always had. But now she wasn’t so sure.

The surf lapped at her feet and she sighed. “I love how he makes me feel,” she muttered to the water. “And now I have dreams about the things he could make me feel…” She shivered in pleasure at the thought. “Why is this so hard?” she asked herself as she picked up a pebble and threw it as far as she could into the sea.

\---

“This was such a good idea,” Santana admitted, scooting closer to Brittany on the wooden sauna bench. “I was going to take you back to our room to have my way with you, but I kind of like the idea of doing it here.” She slipped her hand higher on Brittany’s thigh, her fingers moving under the towel as Brittany smiled at her.

“We weren’t together at Valentines,” Brittany whispered in her lover’s ear. “I wanted to do something different and special to make it up to you…”

“You didn’t owe me anything,” Santana murmured, leaning in and kissing along the blonde’s long, pale neck.

Brittany arched her neck back as Santana worked her way up, gasping at the things her girlfriend could make her feel. The [heavy beat of her pulse thrummed through her](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLJ-Cp22JJo).

_Love, love, mmmmm._

\---

Mercedes was trying very hard to keep her mind on the topic of whether to have sex now or keep waiting, but all she could think about was how amazing she was sure it would be to have sex with Sam.

“You’re distracting, baby,” she murmured to herself. “How am I supposed to think clearly about anything when I keep daydreaming about you?”

 _You make me feel like a candy apple all red and hearty_   
_You make me feel love, love, love, love, love_

\---

Brittany felt like a goddess when Santana touched her like this, soft but insistent, and everywhere at once. Of course Brittany always gave back as much as she received, but there was something about being lost in the passion of the moment. Their eyes met for a moment as they shifted angles, and Santana smiled. Most people never saw this side of her, and Brittany loved that it was something just between them.

 _Lover, I'm laced with your unconscious._   
_Oh baby, babe, babe, baby_

\--

Mercedes climbed the steps at the edge of the beach and put her shoes back on. Obviously she wasn’t going to be able to think very well out here. Maybe it would be easier if she went to a church; that had helped before.

 _Take your time_   
_You make me feel loved_

She looked out over the water one last time, before turning and heading down the street.

\-----------------------------------

Yale

\-----------------------------------

**Rachel to Quinn: I finally figured out my living situation!**

**Quinn to Rachel: That’s great? Deets?**

**Rachel: Where are you right now? I don’t want to be interrupting you if you’re taking a test or something.**

**Quinn: LOL I wouldn’t answer if I were in the middle of a test. Just reading some Gloria Allred. No pressing deadlines.**

**Rachel: OK. I’ll give you a call?**

**Quinn: Sure!**

The phone rang as soon as Quinn closed her book.

“The reason I wanted to talk to you on the phone about it is that it’s someone you know,” Rachel said, her tone as serious as death. Quinn didn’t worry, though. Rachel had a tendency to be overdramatic at times, to put it lightly.

“Oh? I thought Kurt and Blaine wanted to have the loft to themselves,” Quinn said distractedly as she put her book away on her bookshelf. “Unless you’re moving in with Mike? That _would_ be a surprise.”

Rachel cleared her throat. “No, it’s … someone we’re both very close to in some ways, and not so close to in others.”

Quinn scoured her memory for other possibilities, but couldn’t think of anyone else from high school who lived in New York now. “Sorry, Rachel. I guess I’ve been studying too long. I don’t have any brain power left for riddles.”

The next word out of Rachel’s mouth was so quiet, Quinn had to ask her to repeat it.

“Shelby,” Rachel repeated. “I’m moving in with Shelby. And Beth.”

The world came to a halt. Quinn had the distinct feeling of someone who’d been moving along at high speed, then come to a sudden, alarming stop – like her innards were still accelerating forward although her outer body was perfectly still. She set one hand on her desk to steady herself. “Oh,” she said. “That… _is_ a surprise.”

Rachel was silent for a beat. Quinn thought she heard fabric shuffling at the other end of the line, but it might have been static. “I should have talked to you about this first, shouldn’t I?”

“No, it’s ok. Shelby’s your birth mother. I’m glad you guys are on good enough terms that you can do that.” _You’ll_ _see my daughter every day_ , Quinn thought, her heart aching. _I haven’t seen her in years._

“Yes, but … You aren’t on very good terms with Shelby, are you?”

Quinn lowered herself into her desk chair. She took a deep breath. “We’re actually doing ok right now, I think. Not like things were senior year. We write a little. She has Beth draw things for me.” The most recent drawing from Beth was, in fact, taped to the wall above Quinn’s desk: a crooked stick figure with a ginormous round head and a tiny tuft of hair at the top, surrounded by red heart stickers to mark the recent Valentine’s Day.

“Oh, that’s good. Do you talk? Have you seen Beth?”

Quinn shook her head as if Rachel could see her. “No. I’d like to, but with how we left things in Lima – that feels like a lot to ask. Shelby still doesn’t have a reason to trust me. I can write her about doing well at Yale, but unless she sees me in person, I don’t know how she’s ever going to believe I’m not the same punkass girl I was in high school. But of course there’s no way she’s going to just randomly run into me and –” _Except there could be,_ Quinn realized. _Rachel just presented you with the opportunity._

“Rachel, what if I came down to help you move? I’m sure you could use the help, and it would give Shelby a chance to see how much I’ve changed.”

“That would be great!” Rachel’s enthusiasm was almost palpable. “Kurt and Blaine would probably be willing to help, but they’re so crazy busy I’m not actually sure how useful they’d be. Plus, I feel like I’ve already cashed in all my favors with them.”

“You know that’s not how friendship works, right? No one’s keeping a tally.”

“Yes, but I’ve been rather demanding of both of them in the past. Especially Kurt. I’m working on not taking people for granted. I want to show him I’ve turned over a new leaf, like you want to show Shelby.” Rachel paused. “Speaking of not taking things for granted, I should probably get Shelby’s ok before you come down. It sounds to me like she’s open to communicating more with you, but I’ve made assumptions about what Shelby would be ok with in the past and sometimes been mistaken.”

“You’re probably right.” Quinn tried to ignore the sinking feeling in her chest. “But whatever she decides, I can at least come down to help you pack up your stuff, even if I won’t be able to help you move it in.”

“Really? You’d do that just for me?” Rachel sounded pleased as punch.

Quinn smiled. “Of course I would. You would do the same for me.”

“I don’t know,” Rachel said. “I tend to get a little focused on myself sometimes.”

“I can’t argue with that,” Quinn said fondly. “But you help out with the important things. Remember, you helped me apply to Yale. If it weren’t for that, I might not be here.”

“I guess that’s true,” Rachel said proudly. Quinn could envision her preening on the other end of the phone signal. “Well, then. I guess we’re both pretty good at this friendship thing, aren’t we?”

“That we are.”

When it came to Beth, hope was dangerous. Quinn knew that – and still she couldn’t help but smile when she got off the phone, picturing herself walking into a Brooklyn brownstone and a little blonde girl catapulting toward her with open arms.

Of course, reality would be much different. Quinn probably wouldn’t get to see her at all. And if she did? Beth would only know her as the lady who sent presents for birthdays and Hanukkah. She would probably be shy, and maybe even scared by the eagerness that Quinn would have such a hard time suppressing.

Quinn took Beth’s latest drawing down from the wall and [started singing](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCPbr8iLXE8) as she traced her fingers along the edges of the heart stickers. She imagined Beth pressing them to the paper with her small, pudgy hands. She wished she could feel Beth’s touch through the paper.

 _This is just to say "hello" and to let you know I think of you from time to time._   
_I know I never really knew you, but somehow I miss you and wish that you'd stayed in my life._

The words were from a love song, but it  wasn’t far-fetched for Quinn to be singing them about about her daughter. As little time as she had spent with Beth out of the womb, the girl had grown inside her for the longest nine months of Quinn’s life. There was an intimacy there that no other relationship had ever matched.

Beth was the love of her life. It was a different kind of love from the romantic feelings she had about the people she’d dated. It was deeper and more constant. She doubted she would ever love anyone else as much as this until she had children of her own.

But the love Quinn had was one-sided. She knew that. Beth couldn’t remember those nine months, or the days in the wake of her birth as Quinn prepared to say goodbye. She probably didn’t even remember Quinn babysitting her in Lima when she was two years old.

_I'm under no illusion as to what I meant to you._

Quinn never doubted anymore that she had made the right decision about finding an adoptive family for Beth. The pain was no longer ever-present. She knew that Shelby was a good mother, and that Beth was where she should be.

_But you made an impression, and sometimes I still feel the bruise._

__

\-----------------------------------

Lima, Ohio

\-----------------------------------

Coach Shannon Beiste sat astride the locker room bench next to Ryder and Kitty. Never mind that it was the boys locker room, nobody seemed to think anything of the fact that Kitty was in there. Practice was over and everyone had gone home anyway, so it didn’t really matter.

“So, kids, I wanted to let you know that I talked to Principal Sylvester about your idea, and she approved it,” Bieste said cheerfully. “This is such a great idea you have, and I’m so glad you’re bringing this kind of thing to McKinley. We really need it.”

“Thanks,” Ryder said shyly. He had gotten more confident over the years, but he was still usually the quiet one in most social situations.

“Sexual violence is far more common than a lot of people realize,” Kitty said pointedly. “One in four women gets molested or raped in her lifetime. And it happens to guys too and nobody talks about that, but they should.”

“Violence happens to all kinds of people, but we have a cultural taboo against talking about it,” Beiste added with a sad nod. “But making a club for awareness and support is such a good thing. You punkins know I had to get out of an abusive marriage, and I couldn’t have done it without support from my friends. I wonder sometimes if I had known more about abuse when I was younger if maybe I would have been able to avoid it, or at least recognize it for what it was and get out of the situation sooner.”

“I think one of the best things about this is that nobody will have to say whether they are there because they are a victim or a supporter,” Ryder commented. “Everyone can just come and be supportive, and if or when they feel safe enough to share their stories, they can. But victims can still get support even if they aren’t ready to share their story yet.”

“Survivors,” Kitty corrected. They both looked at her.

“Survivors,” she repeated. “Not victims; survivors. Someone who has been molested or abused shouldn’t be called a victim. That takes away their power. We should say survivors, because that’s what they are.”

“That’s what we are, you mean,” Beiste added with a wry smile.

“Yes, that’s what we are,” Kitty answered with a smile of her own. “How about we call the club Survivors and Supporters?”

“That has a nice ring to it,” Ryder agreed. “I like it.”

“I didn’t get to finish telling you,” Beiste added. “Sue said that she would have an awareness assembly in a couple of weeks, so you kids will have a chance to reach out to the whole school when you’re getting started. Hopefully that will help with getting people to come.”

“Perfect,” Kitty said, clearly pleased. “I will get to work on planning that right away.”

“Well then let me just get these forms filled out,” Beiste said, grabbing some papers from her bag, “and in a few days we will have an official Survivors and Supporters club at McKinley High!”

\-----------------------------------

The Loft, New York City

\-----------------------------------

It was ridiculous. Blaine knew it was. But still, he couldn’t stop his brain from going in the direction it kept wanting to go ever since he’d seen those two words, “SADIE HAWKINS,” on Kurt’s phone screen.

Going to Sadie Hawkins with Tina his senior year was meant to erase all that. And Blaine thought it had. He hadn’t thought about his first Sadie Hawkins in ages. The memories had almost completely disappeared from his nightmares, replaced instead by anxious dreams of starring in a Broadway show for which he’d never read the script. The only time he’d had a flashback in recent memory was last spring, the night that Kurt was attacked, after everyone went away and Blaine was alone with him in the hospital room, lying next to him and terrified that he wouldn’t regain consciousness.

Maybe it was because the words had come to Blaine out of the blue, when he was distracted by thoughts of weddings and his future happiness with Kurt. They were like a tornado siren at a picnic.

_The terror of realizing who was there, and what they were about to do... Laying on the ground, curled into a fetal position as he tried to protect himself as the blows kept coming one after the other... Hearing grunts and crying and realizing that some of it was his own.... Waking up in the hospital…_

Blaine had barely been able to pay attention at all in his afternoon Performance Art lecture about the symbology of Jell-O and its various uses as a prop. He ended up leaving NYADA without doing an hour of practice in one of the grand piano rooms he’d reserved. He just wanted to be home, where things felt familiar and safe.

Kurt wasn’t home yet when Blaine got to the loft. Blaine tried to study, but he couldn’t concentrate. He tried watching cute cat videos on YouTube, but they weren’t enough. He ended up making himself some chamomile tea and standing next to the window, staring at the streetscape below.

“You won’t believe who I ran into at the Brooklyn Roasting Company today!” Kurt said as he came through the loft door and rolled it closed behind him.

Blaine didn’t look up from where he stood next to the living room window, frowning. “You ok, hon?” Kurt said, setting his satchel on the floor and reaching out to rub the small of Blaine’s back. It had taken a while for Kurt to get used to the fact that Blaine was the opposite of him when in a bad mood – he craved touch and conversation, where Kurt often turned bristly and wanted to throw barbs at anyone who came within ten feet of him.

Fortunately, Kurt wasn’t in as bad of a mood as he might have expected after encountering his old high school bully. He felt off-balance, but not sick or panicky. He’d want to talk about it – another sign that he wasn’t overly upset – but that could wait.

Blaine looked up, surprised. “I didn’t hear you come in.”

Kurt didn’t comment on how incredibly preoccupied Blaine would have to be to not hear the loft door creaking on its track. “A bad day, huh?”

Blaine shrugged, his arms still folded across his chest. “Not really. I’m fine.” He avoided making eye contact with Kurt. “How was your day?”

Kurt thought about it. “Most of it was good. Some of it was incredibly uncomfortable.”

Blaine raised a curious eyebrow.

“I’ll tell you more if you’ll tell me more,” Kurt said gently. ”Because you’re not acting like you’re fine. And you don’t have to, Blaine. It’s me, remember? I love you whether things are fine or not.”

Blaine reached out then, wrapping his arms around Kurt’s shoulders and sinking his weight against his chest. “Thanks for reminding me. I need that sometimes.”

Kurt pulled Blaine as close as he could. “I do, too. I’m used to having to be strong all the time, not letting people see when I might be vulnerable. I forget that it’s ok to not to be strong around you.” On his way home he’d mulled over what Artie had said in the coffee shop, about how putting up with bullying might have changed him for the worse. Kurt went through his own memories of being bullied in high school, the way his emotional armor became thicker with every insult or shove.

Kurt had always thought of that armor as a strength. But armor was also heavy. It kept him from moving freely. He didn’t want it encumbering him around Blaine.

Kurt could feel the tension in Blaine’s body start to slowly unwind. His own stress started to melt away, too. When they pulled apart, Kurt gestured toward the empty tea cup on the windowsill. “How about I heat up water for more tea, and then we talk?”

“That would be nice,” Blaine said with a small smile. He walked with Kurt toward the small open kitchen. “I forgot to tell you, I left your phone on the counter. You have a few messages.”

“Thanks.” Kurt filled the kettle with water and put it on the stove, then picked up his phone to see if anything was urgent. A message from Rachel to let him know she was back in New York, one of his coworkers from the Spotlight Diner wanting to trade shifts next week, and the text from Unique with “SADIE HAWKINS” in all capital letters.

That got Kurt’s attention. McKinley had never had Sadie Hawkins dances when he’d been a student there, so he had only one strong association with the phrase: sitting across from Blaine at Breadstix the spring that they fell in love, and Blaine saying he’d been gay-bashed at a Sadie Hawkins dance.

They’d never really talked about it since. Not in detail. Blaine never seemed to want to, and Kurt didn’t want to make him uncomfortable. He’d managed to fill in a few details from vague references Blaine’s parents had made in conversation, but otherwise that part of Blaine’s life was a blank to him.

Kurt lifted his phone and showed the screen to Blaine. “Is this what upset you?”

Blaine looked down at his feet and nodded.

“Because of what happened to you?”

“I told you it was stupid. It happened years ago, and I’ve been to a very nice Sadie Hawkins dance in the meantime. But I saw that message and I just … went back. It makes no sense. I should be over it by now.”

“It’s not stupid,” Kurt said. “I thought I was over the stuff David Karofsky did to me in high school, but then I ran into him at the Brooklyn Roasting Company today.”

Blaine’s jaw dropped open. “You’re kidding me.”

“Nope.”

“Did he move here?”

Kurt shook his head. “He’s on spring break with his boyfriend. I guess they’re not into Panama City Beach.”

“That must have been awkward.”

“It was. Mostly because Karofsky seemed really happy to see me, and I wasn’t happy to see him? I mean, I didn’t feel scared of him or anything. But Artie was kind of rude to him, and I was pretty much in shock. I know I told Karofsky I wanted to be his friend after the whole suicide thing, but … that’s just something I wished could be true. It wasn’t actually true. So, yeah. Awkward.”

The kettle whistled. Blaine grabbed the box of chamomile tea and Kurt grabbed the hibiscus. “I’m sorry you had to go through that,” Blaine said as he measured chamomile flowers into his tea strainer. “I can’t imagine what that would have been like, running into one of my old bullies on my home turf. It sounds … worse than Unique’s text. That’s for sure”

“I don’t know.” Kurt poured water into each of their mugs. “In one way, it was good to see that he was happy and out, and not beating himself or anyone else for being gay anymore. I used to tell him that was the one thing I wanted for him – happiness. And _that_ part was true. But I guess I don’t have any need to see his happiness in person.”

“That makes sense. …I can’t imagine seeing my old bullies again. I’d probably go into Fight Club mode, even if they’ve turned out to be saints.”

They sat down at the kitchen table, Kurt at the head and Blaine at the side, close enough that their legs and forearms could rest side-by-side as they talked. “After Karofsky left, Artie said some stuff that got me thinking.”

“Oh?”

“I’ve always seen myself as a survivor. Someone who takes the bad that people throw at me and comes out stronger.”

“You _are_ a survivor, Kurt. We both are.”

“I know. But the stuff I think of as my strengths – the things that helped me get through all that, the lessons I learned from being bullied – not all of them are actually good. Not in every situation, at least.”

“What do you mean?”

Kurt reached for Blaine’s hand. “I lived in fear for a long time, Blaine. And that fear taught me to keep people at a distance. I think that’s actually a healthy thing to do in a lot of cases, but it’s not good when I do it with you. But it’s become such a habit for me, especially when I’m stressed out. I don’t want that fear to touch our relationship, Blaine.”

Blaine nodded. “But when it does, I’ll try to be more understanding. I know sometimes I’ve gotten afraid that it means you don’t love me –”

“Of course I do, Blaine. Always.”

“I know. But I think that fear of losing you comes from the same place. I never told you, but the guys who beat us up at Sadie Hawkins –” Blaine looked down at their joined hands. “They were friends of ours, Kurt. Kids I’d grown up with. We’d hung out with them earlier at the dance. We all had our pictures taken together. I thought – I thought everything was okay. I felt totally safe that night.” Blaine blinked. His eyes were wet. He wasn’t crying, but he could if he let himself. “That’s the worst part of it. That we thought we were in a safe place, and we totally weren’t.”

Kurt got out of his chair and knelt next to his fiancé. “That’s horrible, Blaine. I’m so sorry that happened to you.”

“But it was also six years ago. That’s almost a third of my lifetime. It shouldn’t hurt anymore.”

“My mom died more than half my life ago. It still hurts to think about sometimes.”

“Yeah, but no one died at Sadie Hawkins, Kurt.”

Kurt wrapped his hands around Blaine’s arms and looked him in the eye. “Betrayal hurts just as much as death. Maybe more. The fact that it still hurts doesn’t make you weak. It makes you human.”

Blaine fell into Kurt’s arms. He leaned his face into crook of Kurt’s neck. “Thank you,” he whispered. “Thank you for understanding.”

Kurt kissed Blaine’s ear. “Thank you for telling me. It means a lot to me, that you trust me with that.”

Blaine looked up, his warm hazel eyes meeting Kurt’s clear blues with affection and adoration. He moved his mouth to respond, but what came out was a [song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tMKO_9SD1Y&feature=youtu.be&t=11s).

 _It's been a long time coming since I've seen your face_   
_I've been everywhere and back trying to replace_

“You know,” Blaine said, “after Sadie Hawkins happened, I thought I’d never feel safe again. But you made me feel safe almost as soon as I met you.” He squeezed Kurt’s hands and pulled him into a tight embrace. “It scared me a little,” he admitted in a whisper, “because I didn’t know if I could trust it. But I’ve learned that I can, with all my heart.”

“Me too, Blaine, me too.”

 _I'm feeling better ever since you know me_   
_I was a lonely soul but that's the old me_

Kurt watched Blaine gather up the tea things and put them in the sink. He was so proud of Blaine--proud of both of them actually--for opening up to each other this way. It wasn’t easy for either of them, but practicing this kind of vulnerability together was only going to strengthen their relationship.   
  
_But with you I feel again_  
 _Yeah, with you I can feel again_  
  


\-----------------------------------

Mercedes and Sam’s apartment, Los Angeles

\-----------------------------------

“So, Sam,” Mercedes reached across the table to take his hand. “I’ve been thinking, and I’ve been praying.”

“Yeah?” His eyes lit up. It had been an awkward couple of days again as he had tried to give her space to sort out what she wanted. It was hard, knowing that if he hadn’t stopped her the other night then they almost certainly would have had sex. He knew though that if she took that step before she was ready then she would probably hate them both afterward. Whatever she said now, he was tired of waiting, and glad that she was ready to tell him her answer.

“Well, you know that I have never been judgmental to other people about their sexual choices, as long as they were happy with what they were doing.”

He nodded, encouraging her to continue.

“And most of our friends have had sex without being married and I don’t think any of them are bad people. I definitely don’t think you are a bad person for not being a virgin. Virginity doesn’t make a person better or worse, it’s just a different choice.”

“Yeaaah…” Sam was not at all sure which direction she was going with this.

“So I have thought a lot about whether my decision before was based on what I had been taught by other people, or whether it was really what I, personally, wanted. And I have thought a lot about why I made the decision, and whether those reasons still apply.”

“And?” Sam was eager for her answer, but trying to not appear too antsy.

“When I was a teenager, I felt like I had to save sex for marriage, because God wanted me to. Now that I think about it more, I remember that the Bible says that God is Love, and I think that God won’t judge me about sex just like I don’t judge my friends.”

“Ok.” Sam squeezed her hand. This sounded pretty good to him.

“So I wanted to tell you that I have decided--”

“That it’s ok for us to have sex now?” Sam blurted.

“Noooo,” Mercedes bit her lip. “I’ve decided that this is a decision that God leaves to each person individually, and that I had to make my own choice about it. And I think I may be ready to do a little more than what we have before, but I don’t think I’m ready for sex yet. I want to save something–that final step–for my wedding night. I want something that makes it special and different and more than what I’ve had with anyone else.”

Sam took a deep breath and blew it out slowly.

“I’m sorry babe, are you mad at me?” Mercedes peered at him carefully. “I know this isn’t always necessarily going to be easy for either one of us, but probably especially for you. I understand if you can’t–”

“No, Mercedes, don’t,” he interrupted firmly. “I told you a year ago that being with you was worth waiting for sex, and I still feel that way. I mean I’m sure there are going to be days when it completely sucks because I want so much to be able to touch you and be with you that way...” Mercedes looked down at her lap, shifting awkwardly in her seat, until Sam slipped his hand along her jaw and lifted her face back up.  “But I would rather know that neither of us is going to have any second thoughts or regrets about anything that we do together.”

She smiled at him as he continued. “I mean, that’s what consent is all about, right? Making sure that both people want to do what they are doing? It wouldn’t be fair for either one of us to try to make the other do things a certain way, but if we both choose to do this together, then it’s ok. And in this case, we had already agreed to this, so we’re fine.” He grinned, proud of himself for being able to explain what he was thinking, and feeling a sense of calmness in knowing that he actually did mean all of it. There would be hard days, but he didn’t have any doubts about Mercedes being worth the wait. He filled his fork with salad and put it in his mouth (this conversation had worked up an appetite!)

“Sam, thank you for understanding. I was so nervous, especially after the other night when I–”

“It was hot,” he mumbled around his mouthful.

Mercedes flushed instantly. “Sam!”

“What?” Sam swallowed. “An extremely sexy woman came on to me. I have no complaints about that whatsoever!”

“So you’re not upset?”

He shook his head. “No, I would tell you if I was. I mean I admit I was kind of hoping,” he shrugged. “But we have a good thing going on here, and I wouldn’t ruin it by lying to you.”

“Thank you, Sam. Thank you for understanding. And thank you for supporting me, and for helping me slow down the other night when I was distracted and uh,” her voice dropped to a whisper “a little horny.”

Sam choked and almost spit water across the table but he managed to keep his composure (just barely). Mercedes squinted at him as he wiped his mouth and inhaled sharply. She bit her lip again, but was unable to keep from breaking into peals of laughter. Sam joined her, the twinkle in his eyes matching hers as he reached for her hand again.

“So, babe?” He squeezed a little, and she squeezed back.

“Yes Sam?”

“When you said ‘a little more than we have before,’ what did you mean?”

“Let’s eat our dinner first, then we can talk about that, ok?”

“Ok.” He let her hand go and returned to his plate for a moment before glancing up at her through his lashes.

“Hey Mercedes?”

“Yes Sam?”

“You know if we eloped then--”

He was cut off by her kicking him under the table. “Just eat your salad, dork.”

\-----------------------------------

Feeling Good Spa, Los Angeles

\-----------------------------------

Brittany dropped their room key in the slot and met Santana at the door to head out to the parking lot.

“Are you ready to go home? I kind of want to just live here.”

Santana chuckled as she put their bags in the back of the car. “Well if we don’t go back to work then we wouldn’t be able to afford living here. But I think maybe we should come here again. It was really nice.”

Brittany nodded proudly. “I thought you would like it.” She plopped into the passenger’s seat of the car and pulled her seatbelt on.

“I did, Britt, I really did. Thank you.” Santana squeezed her girlfriend’s hand before buckling herself in and starting the car. Brittany immediately reached for the radio and turned it on, and as they pulled onto the highway, they rolled down the windows and [sang along at the top of their lungs](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSD4vsh1zDA).

 _I gotta feeling that tonight's gonna be a good night_   
_That tonight's gonna be a good night_

\---

The pillow hit Sam square on the back of his head. Mercedes ducked out of the way, trying to avoid the pillow he threw in return.

“Not fair!” he said in a whiny tone.

“Whatever, you still have two pillows over there and I only have one now!”

Sam jumped on top of the couch so that he had a better angle for throwing pillows. “Oh you’re going down Cedes!”

 _Jump off that sofa, let's get, get off_   
_I know that we'll have a ball_

\---

Quinn felt her phone buzz in her pocket and pulled it out as she walked home from class. There on the screen was a selfy of Shelby and Beth, waving and smiling. The phone buzzed in her hand as another message came through.

**Shelby: We would love to see you!**

_Cause I gotta feeling, woohoo,_   
_That tonight's gonna be a good night_

\---

“So will you help us with this song for the assembly next week?” Ryder asked everyone at Vibratos practice.

“Of course,” Marley nodded. These people had stood by her through thick and thin, she was always willing to help them.

“Sure,” Jake agreed.

“We wouldn’t miss it for the world,” Unique smiled, and threw an arm around him. “If it’s important to you, it’s important to us.”

“Thanks, guys,” Kitty murmured as Marley and Sugar hugged her from either side. Real friends might be hard to find in some places, but she had five of them right here. That seemed like a pretty good deal to her.

 _Here we come, here we go, we gotta rock (Rock rock rock rock rock)_   
_Easy come, easy go, now we on top (Top top top top top)_

\---

Artie adjusted the angle of the camera on his tripod and then gave a thumbs up to Kurt and Blaine who were sitting side by side on the couch. “You’re all centered, so we’re good to go,” he announced.

“I’m so excited we’re doing this,” Blaine breathed, trying to look calm but obviously not feeling it. He patted his hair.  "Do I look ok?"

“This is just going on youtube, you know,” Kurt reminded him. “It’s not like it will grace the big screen of a film festival or anything. In ‘It Gets Better’ videos people are not _supposed_ to look like movie stars.”

"You look handsome as ever," Artie replied with a bright smile. Kurt shot him a playfully dirty look before turning back to Blaine. Artie rolled his eyes.

"You look great," Kurt smiled, taking Blaine's hand and squeezing it. “Are you ready?”

Blaine looked back and forth between the two of them for a moment before shrugging. “Yeah, I'm ready."

Artie pressed the record button.

 _And I'm feelin', woohoo, that tonight's gonna be a good night_   
_That tonight's gonna be a good, good night_

“I know what it’s like to be bullied every day and to not be accepted for who I am,” Kurt said, his eyes locked on the camera.

“It wasn’t safe for me to go to a school dance with another boy,” Blaine said with soft earnestness.

“When we were in high school, we couldn’t even do this in public,” Kurt explained, holding up their clasped hands.

Blaine nodded. “And we definitely couldn’t kiss or do any of the things that straight couples never had to think twice about.”

“But we want you to know that it gets better.”

“At the school we go to now, no one cares whether you’re gay or straight--unless you’re single and they’re thinking about asking you on a date,” Blaine said with a twinkle in his eye.

“We have family and friends who love us for who we are.”

“Our parents are incredibly supportive.”

Kurt nodded. “I was so scared of coming out to my dad, but he turned out to be the most amazing ally a son could ask for. Now he’s in Congress, standing up for people like us.”

“We’re getting married in a couple months.” Blaine grinned. "And both the state we live in and the federal government will recognize that marriage. That wasn't true a few years ago."

“It really does get better,” Kurt said. “No matter how hard it is right now, please don’t give up. There’s a whole amazing future out there just waiting for you to come and get it.”

======================================================

 

We hope you enjoyed this episode of GSF. Let the writers know what you think? Thanks for reading and see you next week for episode 16! 

I you're wondering what went down when Kurt and Artie ran into Karosfky, [ check out the deleted scene here](http://archiveofourown.org/works/3168407/chapters/8359795)  


  
  


 

(Credit for the NYADA photo goes to twentyoneklaine)

[Coverart reblog-able from here](URL%20HERE)  
[ Stills on tumblr](http://gleeseasonfix.tumblr.com/post/116129553956/stills-glee-season-fix-episode-15-i-gotta)  
[ Music playlist on Youtube](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLROpgNDpvdlFsz1kMXL_byUttfy5XjJfI)

Songs:

Unique and Marley: [Man! I Feel Like a Woman](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJL4UGSbeFg) by Shania Twain  
Brittany, Santana, and Mercedes: [Feeling Love](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLJ-Cp22JJo) by Paula Cole  
Quinn:  [Sometimes I Still Feel the Bruise](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCPbr8iLXE8) by Trembling Blue Stars  
Kurt and Blaine: [Feel Again](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tMKO_9SD1Y&feature=youtu.be&t=11s) by One Republic  
Ensemble: [I Gotta Feeling](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSD4vsh1zDA) by Black Eyed Peas

 


	16. Make Art and Help People

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rachel moves in with Shelby and gets a chance to start something new. Blaine and Kurt begin big projects at NYADA, and Brittany and Santana come up with a new business idea of their own. Mercedes and Sam sort through some things, and Quinn finally comes face to face with Beth and Shelby.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written by [ gingerfic ](http://archiveofourown.org/users/gingerfic/pseuds/gingerfic),[ Wowbright ](http://archiveofourown.org/users/wowbright/pseuds/wowbright) and [ to-write-is-to-bleed ](http://to-write-is-to-bleed.tumblr.com/)  
> Beta by [ HKvoyage ](http://hkvoyage.tumblr.com) and [ alwaysfallingforanidea ](http://alwaysfallingforanidea.tumblr.com/)
> 
> Glee Season Fix (“GSF”) was written independently of spoilers about Glee Season 6. If songs or plots overlap, it’s due to coincidence or nature of the storylines that need resolution. If references pop up, we excuse ourselves for not being able to hold back.
> 
> Like on the show, GSF also includes songs and performances. There are links to full versions of each song, as well as a few pieces of lyrics quoted in the scene. We hope you will enjoy listening as well as reading, but be aware that the written version is shortened, whereas the audio versions are the full songs.

_Here’s what you missed on Glee Season Fix…_

_Rachel has always belonged in New York, but she’s been having a hard time finding a living arrangement that doesn’t make her insane. She also has always belonged on Broadway, but she kind of ruined everything for herself by walking away from NYADA and then Funny Girl and now she is starting to rebuild her career but it’s been slow going._

_Quinn hasn’t seen Beth since she was a baby, and she hasn’t seen Shelby since that time when she tried to get child protective services to take Beth away from her, so even though Shelby said she could come visit, there’s a good chance of things being a little awkward when she does._

_Kurt and Blaine are both attending NYADA, but we almost never see them going to class or actually doing anything related to it. But they are both really busy so we’re pretty sure they are still going, and they are probably being amazing there since they are both hard workers and perfectionists._

_Brittany and Santana just got back from a relaxing spa week, and before that Santana was at  her abuela’s funeral, and before that Brittany danced with Beyoncé and interviewed her on Fondue For Two. Now they have to settle into real life again. That might be interesting._

_Mercedes and Sam are together, and he moved in with her, and it looks like they even figured out the sex thing, so why is she still apprehensive about their relationship? And is figuring it out going to involve another epic song? Because she is awesome at those but we’re not sure that they actually help that much._

_When Ryder told the other members of glee club about being molested they didn’t respond very helpfully. In fact they kind of made things worse. But then Kitty came in with some solidarity, and now the two of them–with The Vibratos, Coach Bieste, and Principal Sylvester behind them–are launching a Survivors and Supporters club at McKinley High._

\-----------------------------------

NYADA, New York City

\-----------------------------------

Blaine didn’t really get nervous about performances since he had done so many of them over the years. Still, he couldn’t help having a few nerves today. It wasn’t his first music class, but it was the first time he was conducting the orchestra. He felt a few beads of sweat on his forehead and neck as he adjusted the height of the music stand, looked out across the group of musicians, smiled, and raised his hands.

Three minutes later it was over and Blaine was stepping off the podium again, being met with applause and his professor shaking his hand.

“Beautifully done, Blaine,” she congratulated him as the other students got up and began filing out of the room. “No one would guess you hadn’t done that before. You’re a natural leader.”

“Thank you, Professor Woolf, this was something new for me but I gave it my best.”

“Well, your best is fantastic!”

Blaine smiled bashfully. A Dalton boy through and through, he was always very polite with his professors, but he wasn’t used to having one of them gush over him like this. He was flattered.

“How are you liking NYADA?” Professor Woolf asked conversationally as Blaine gathered up his bag and jacket and prepared to go.

“Oh it’s great, I love being here!” Blaine grinned. “It’s such an amazing school.” He wasn’t surprised she was asking because she had been assigned as his academic advisor and he had met with her before when he first came to NYADA. She had helped him understand what the programs were and which classes were prerequisites to the ones he wanted to take. This was the first time he’d had a class with her, but he knew that she kept an eye out for ‘her’ students.

“Have you figured out where to do your internship yet?”

“Um, no actually,” Blaine said. “I’m only in my second year so I have a little time still. I figured I would do the internship in the fall.”

“I know you feel like you have time to get it done,” she said understandingly, “but I want to really encourage you to do it this spring. The truth is that a lot of students save their internships for the fall, and it always turns into a basic case of supply-and-demand. It’s easier to find an internship right now than it will be in the fall.”

“I’m just so busy right now with wedding planning,” Blaine explained.

“Oh, you’re engaged to Kurt Hummel, right?”

“Yeah,” Blaine could never stop himself from smiling when someone mentioned that.

“When’s the wedding?”

“In May.”

“That’s lovely!” she smiled genuinely. “Well, I hear planning a wedding can be stressful, but I still think you should do the internship now. Trust me, I’ve been advising students about this for over a decade, and I know what I’m talking about.”

Blaine shifted awkwardly from one foot to the other. He appreciated her trying to help, but he really didn’t see how he could do one more thing right now.

“Have you ever heard of The Crystal Theater?”

“What?” his head snapped up.

“One of my friends is the stage manager there. She told me the other day that they are just starting rehearsals for _The Music Man_ and they could use a rehearsal assistant especially to help with the younger cast members. It’s a community production, so it would qualify for the internship, and they perform at the end of April so it would be before your wedding.”

“Oh, I…” Blaine hadn’t expected this. It was a very generous offer but he still didn’t see how he could fit it in.

Professor Woolf fished around in her bag, pulled out a business card and quickly scribbled something on the back. “Here’s the address, you should drop by some afternoon in the next couple of days and see what you think.”

“If they’re already rehearsing, I don’t know if I’ll be able to get the paperwork together in time,” Blaine worried. “This sounds like a great opportunity, but I need to register for the credit, and I have to have a letter of recommendation…”

“Oh I’ll write that for you!” she announced cheerily. “Actually…” she reached into her bag again and pulled out an envelope. “I already did.”

Blaine accepted the envelope from her with an open mouth and wide eyes.

“I put an ‘add class’ form in there too,” she smiled. “Go visit the theater. And if you decide to do it, the paperwork will only take you a few minutes.”

“I, I,” Blaine stammered, “I don’t know what to say.”

“Say ‘thank you Professor Woolf,’ and then go to The Crystal and see what you think.” She patted him on the back in a motherly kind of way.

“Ok,” Blaine promised, “I’ll go check it out.”

\-----------------------------------

Shelby’s apartment, New York City

\-----------------------------------

Rachel pushed the door open with a large tote bag over each shoulder, and moved to the side to hold the door open as Quinn came through with a box.

“Thanks Rach.”

“Sure,” she nodded her head toward the right. “My bedroom is that way, if you can just bring it there.”

“Ok.” Quinn disappeared into the hallway as Rachel set down her bags so that she could get her key back out of the door. Shelby had said she might not be home yet when Rachel arrived, but she’d given her the key and told her to go ahead and start moving in. Rachel shut the front door and tucked the key into her pocket, setting her hands on her hips and looking around her. This was a nice apartment. Nicer than she could afford, and nicer than she deserved probably. She was renting one bedroom (which was the only way she could afford something so nice and in such a good part of town). It wasn’t much space, but at least it would be her own.

Quinn came back out into the living room. “This place is really nice. Shelby must be doing well for herself,” she murmured quietly. “She’s giving Beth a good life, isn’t she.”

“Yes, she is,” Rachel agreed.

As though she knew someone was talking about her, Beth burst through the front door, followed closely by Shelby. “Mama, there are ladies in our house!” Beth hollered. “Why are there ladies in our house?”

“Remember when we talked about Rachel coming to live with us?” Shelby explained patiently, setting down her purse on the table by the door, and hanging up her coat. “And Quinn was going to come visit and then go back to Connecticut where she lives?”

Beth shimmied out of her coat and dropped it unceremoniously on the floor. "Are you that lady with the funny hat?" she said to Quinn, her tone more a pronouncement than a question. She tilted her head to the side, put her hands on her hips, and pursed her lips together the way Puck used to when he was trying to put two and two together.

Quinn was so blindsided by the resemblance that she didn’t answer.

“Hang up your coat, Beth,” Shelby prompted.

"Oh yeah!" Beth grabbed her coat and scuttled to the hooks to hang it, returning quickly to her prior stance. "You are, aren’t you?" she pushed.

Quinn gathered her wits enough to ask, “I don’t know. I wear hats, but not usually funny ones.”

“But you look like her,” Beth harumphed. “The belly lady with the funny red hat.”

Shelby blushed. “Oh. I think I know what Beth’s talking about.” She pulled out her phone, scrolled through a few screens, and then held it up where both Beth and Quinn could see it. It was a photo that Quinn had emailed to Shelby after her high school graduation, smiling at the camera in red gown and mortarboard.

“Oh, _that_ hat,” Quinn said, suppressing a laugh. Rachel wasn’t doing as well and had let out a high-pitched giggle. “That _is_ a funny hat.”

Beth grinned. “I told you it was funny. And you have the big dress on because I’m in your belly.” Beth pointed at Quinn’s graduation gown, clearly proud of her own powers of deduction. “You’re the belly lady.”

“Beth!” Shelby scolded. “I’ve told you not to call her that. Her name is Quinn.” She turned to Quinn, embarrassed. “I’m sorry Quinn, this is awkward. I told her she grew in your belly and she’s called you the ‘belly lady’ ever since. It was cute when she was two. Not so much now.”

Quinn found herself smiling. She was surprised Shelby had told Beth _anything_ about her so soon after their falling out. But as angry as Shelby had been, she apparently wanted Beth to know where she came from. It was reassuring to know that Shelby’s reaching out now was part of something deeper, and not just a whim.

“That’s okay,” Quinn said. “My belly _was_ my most prominent feature when she was in there.” She turned to Beth, squatting to bring herself closer to Beth’s eye level. “You weren’t in my belly in that picture. You were here in New York with your mama.” Quinn had practiced saying ‘your mama’ to Beth’s picture most of the train ride down here so that she wouldn’t falter on the words. She was glad now that she had. They came out smoothly, and it didn’t stab her heart to say them. If it hurt at all, it felt more like a dull bruise.

“Oh,” Beth said, her eyebrows scrunching together as she took in this new piece of information. “It was a different baby in your belly?”

It was Quinn’s turn to blush. What did her daughter think she was, a baby-producing machine? _Some women have careers in law, other women have careers popping out babies for perimenopausal single women._

Rachel saved Quinn from her thoughts. “Sometimes people wear big dresses even when their bellies aren’t big. It’s a fashion thing.” Rachel said this with the same tone of authority she used to use in Glee club about … well, everything. “I have a friend named Kurt Hummel. He knows everything about fashion. Maybe you’ll meet him someday. He’s a unicorn, too.”

Beth’s jaw dropped. “You know _two_ unicorns?”

“I know lots of unicorns,” Rachel said.

Quinn stood up and put her hand on Rachel’s forearm. “She’s going to be awfully disappointed when she finds out Kurt doesn’t have a horn growing out of his head.”

“Well I don’t know about you ladies, but I’m hungry!” Shelby announced. “I don’t have anything very fancy on hand, but peanut butter and jelly is Beth’s favorite so we have plenty of that, if you don’t mind.”

“We need to bring up a few more things before someone steals them out of the lobby,” Rachel responded. “But maybe in fifteen minutes?”

“Peanut butter and jelly actually sounds great,” Quinn agreed as they headed for the door.

“Perfect!” Shelby smiled. “Beth, why don’t you check the fridge and pick what kind of jelly you want?”

\-----------------------------------

McKinley High School, Lima, Ohio

\-----------------------------------

“Hey,” Kitty said. Ryder glanced up from his hands and smiled weakly. He’d just been psyching himself out.

“Hey.”

Kitty tilted her head. “Are you alright? You look like you’re going to be sick.”

“I don’t know if I can do this. I’ve only ever told you guys about what happened to me. Yeah, I was younger, but those memories still haunt me, you know? How can we ask other people to do this? How can we ask them to open up to us, people who are practically complete strangers?” Ryder shook his head and looked back to his hands.

“We can ask them to do this for the same reason you felt safe enough to open up to Unique and then the rest of the group. I get it. What happened to me changed me and I will never be the same as I was before, and it’s hard to be vulnerable in front of someone else and tell them about it. But having someone who understood what I had experienced helped me a lot.It’s _because_ we know what these people are going through that we can ask them to do this. Ultimately, I think we’re really going to help a lot of people who may not feel like they deserve this support. We’re not the only people who were abused at this school, I guarantee it,” Kitty replied, placing her hand on Ryder’s shoulder in a comforting gesture.

Ryder and Kitty had both felt stronger in having each other to talk to, and over time the rest of the glee club had gotten more supportive too. Now with Coach Bieste and even Principal Sylvester behind them in creating the Survivors and Supporters club, they both knew this was something important.

“Y-you’re right. I didn’t know how much I needed that support in Glee until I finally had it. Let’s go give that to other people,” Ryder said, rising and smiling at Kitty.

Kitty grinned back and offered Ryder her hand. He took it and they walked out on stage together.

\-----------------------------------

Shelby’s apartment, New York City

\-----------------------------------

“Oh Quinn, you’ve got a little bit of–” Shelby pointed to her chin.

Quinn ran her finger over her chin to get the glob of jelly that had fallen there. “Thanks.” She smiled brightly. This whole thing wasn’t nearly as awkward as she had feared it might be.

“Jelly sandwiches are awesome even though they drip,” Beth announced firmly. “Mommy says that sometimes you just have to be willing to get dirty.”

Quinn, Rachel, and Shelby all burst out laughing, and Beth stared around the table at them. “I like food that I can eat with my hands,” she added quietly, and the women all laughed harder.

“So, Quinn,” Shelby prodded. “Speaking of getting your hands dirty, Rachel tells me that you’re doing exciting things at Yale.”

Quinn side-eyed Rachel and swallowed her bite of sandwich. “What did she tell you?!”

“Just that you are amazing and kicking, uh, tail…” Rachel explained with a glance at Beth. Beth was completely absorbed in her sandwich and didn’t even notice Rachel’s awkward stammering on her behalf.

“Oh, well, I joined the honor society this year,” Quinn said proudly.

“That’s great!” Shelby said. “I wish I could say the same for my college career, but I barely squeaked through my non-performance classes. What are you studying?”

“I’m definitely majoring in women’s studies, but I’m thinking about a double major with economics. Yale doesn’t have a pre-law major, or I’d go for that instead. I’d like to go into law, with a focus on working in women’s issues.”

“Two majors! You’re definitely more academically minded than I am.” Shelby ruffled the top of Beth’s hair. “Hopefully Beth takes more after you than me in that regard.”

Quinn felt a burst of warmth in her chest. “You’re no slouch, though.”

Shelby shrugged. “I guess I did okay my second time through school, when I was taking business classes to get ready for opening the daycare.” She gestured at the “Manhattan Preschool for the Performing Arts” logo on her blazer.

“Oh!” Rachel said, bouncing on her chair. “I’ve been meaning to ask you. My friends Kurt and Blaine are getting married soon and I’m figuring they’ll start a family after a few years, and of course if their child turns out to be a fledgling Rachel Berry, they’ll want her to attend your school. How long is the waiting list? Should they sign up for it now, or wait until their first child is born?”

Shelby laughed. “We’ve only been open for two years. We don’t have much of a waiting list yet.”

“Oh, but I’m sure that will change,” Rachel said earnestly. “I’ve heard of daycares in New York where people need to sign up a decade in advance of their child’s third birthday, or they’re out of luck.”

“Tell you what,” Shelby said, barely containing her smile. “Any friends of yours will always be welcome to send their kids to my preschool. That goes for you, too, Quinn. You guys are family.”

Quinn inhaled quickly, touched and a little overwhelmed at Shelby’s declaration. “Thank you,” she whispered.

“Of course,” Shelby smiled. “We are all one big, weird, unconventional family, but we are still family, ok?” She reached out and squeezed Rachel’s and Quinn’s hands, and they all chuckled as she continued. “My pregnancy was planned and I knew from day one that the baby would not be mine to keep, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t hard. I have a good idea of what you probably felt like when–”

_Riiiiiiing_

Rachel pulled out her phone with an apologetic smile, but as she glanced down at the screen her eyes got wide. “Oh my god, I have to take this.” The others smiled or nodded at her as she stood up and stepped away from the table. “Hello? Yes this is Rachel Berry… Oh hello! … Yes I remember you… Yes, of course… Oh. Oh! Oh, yes! Absolutely! Thank you so much!”

Shelby and Quinn were watching her with interest as she pressed her thumb to disconnect the call. (Beth was intently focused on licking the last bits of jelly off her plate.)

“Well?” Shelby asked with raised eyebrows.

“That was a director,” Rachel gasped. “I got a part!”

\----------------------------------------------

McKinley High School, Lima, Ohio

\----------------------------------------------

“Good morning, McKinley idiots. I’ve been asked to remind you all that Sadie Hawkins is in less than two weeks now, and that tickets are available in the courtyard at lunch time and after school. I don’t know why anyone likes school dances–with the sweating and the noise and the fact that nobody actually knows how to dance–but as long as you all refrain from having actual sex on the gym floor I won’t stop you from having them.

“And now, since I’d like to get this over and done with, let’s get on with it. Here to talk to you about our new ‘Survivors and Supporters’ club, Kitty Wilde and Flynn Rider,” Sue said unenthusiastically,  passing a microphone to Kitty.

“Um, thanks, Principal Sylvester! Hi, everyone. Like she said, I’m Kitty, and this is–”

“Ryder Lynn. My name is Ryder Lynn,” Ryder said with a pointed look at Sue.

“Right. Well. I want to start off by asking a few questions. How many people here know someone who has been abused by another person?”

Ryder looked around the gym, noticing the blank stares the students were returning.

“Alright, maybe you don’t know someone who’s been abused or forced into something they don’t want to do. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be informed,” Ryder began. “44% of victims of sexual abuse are under the age of 18 and 80% are under the age of 30. Every year, there are about 293,000 victims of sexual abuse.”

“But we don’t call ourselves victims. We are survivors. We are living with what’s happened to us, and we are surviving,” Kitty continues.

“She’s right. I never got the support I needed to deal with my abuse. Which is why Kitty and I are starting, with the help of Coach Beiste and Principal Sylvester, the Survivors and Supporters club. It is here that we can talk about how to keep our school safe, show support for those who have survived abuse, and make a habit of not skirting around the issue of sexual assault,” Ryder explained.

“Our hope for this club is that people will come to learn, support and help themselves and others around them. And I’ll give you a spoiler alert for the topic of our first meeting: consent,” Kitty smiled as the music started on the [speakers](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTxlB_RFrB0).

 _I am sitting in the club I feel is not hot enough_   
_until you walk in and it's like Oh My God_

Ryder began the song, rapping with a certain sass in his voice. He knew the meaning of the song, and he’d been preparing for it all week with the help of Jake and Mr. Schuester.

_I wanna get close to you and get a lot inside your space_

_Woah there! What you're doing? You don't even know this woman_

Kitty then butted in with her piece, rapping just as sassily. The rest of the Vibratos came in, emphasising various parts of the song. They meant what they sang, and hoped the students got the message, too.

 _She's a fine young thing She don't need grooming_   
_She's a human being She's got a brain_

Ryder got wild with his movements, following alongside Jake and Kitty.

 _This guy wants you but only with your consent_   
_Only with your consent_

The students finally realised the message behind the song and whooped and hollered getting up to dance to the music. Kitty worried that Sue would shut it down. Kitty remembered the stories Rachel had told about the assembly they’d had on drinking that accidentally turned into a riot. Or the one where coach Sue had pulled the fire alarm.

_Only with your consent_

The students then began to join in, bouncing in the bleachers and shouting “Only with your consent” along with the song. Ryder grinned and started jumping alongside the other students.

_Only with your consent_

Kitty glanced over to the back of the gym, where she saw Sue smiling and bobbing her head along with the music. No fire alarms or  riots today.

_This guy wants you, but only with your consent!_

\-----------------------------------

Los Angeles / New York

\-----------------------------------

**Sam to Blaine: if a girl says she’s concerned about something, but then doesn’t  say what, should a guy worry about it?**

**Blaine to Sam: I am so not the person to ask about this**

**Sam: you’ve been friends with girls**

**Blaine: you’re not talking about just a friend are you**

\---

**Kurt to Mercedes: How is my beautiful lady today?**

**Mercedes to Kurt: I’m ok**

**Kurt: you wouldn’t say it like that if you were actually ok. Spill.**

**Mercedes: …**

**Kurt: I’ll call if I have to**

**Mercedes: …**

**Kurt: I mean it. The diner is empty this afternoon and nothing on Gunther’s to do list is as important as you being ok**

\---

**Blaine: I really don’t want to get in the middle of a lover’s quarrel**

**Sam: we’re not fighting**

**Sam: which is why I’m confused**

**Sam: I think she’s upset**

**Sam: but I don’t know what the problem is**

\---

**Kurt: I’m calling**

**Mercedes: no, I’m just trying to figure out how to put it into words**

**Kurt: ok**

**Mercedes: …**

**Kurt: …**

**Kurt: are you sure you don’t want me to call?**

**Mercedes: how do you build a life with someone when you don’t speak the same language?**

**Kurt: get Rosetta Stone?**

**Mercedes: HA HA HA**

**Mercedes: I’m serious**

**Kurt: I assume this is a metaphor**

**Kurt: unless you’re hiding someone from me**

**Kurt: in which case you know I would tell Sam**

**Mercedes: of course it’s a metaphor dummy**

**Kurt: I stand by my answer. You have to study each other’s languages until you can understand each other**

\---

**Blaine: Have you talked to her about it?**

**Sam: I don’t know what to say**

**Blaine: How about ‘you seem upset and I want to talk about this and make it better’**

**Sam: you make it sound easy**

**Blaine: it’s not**

**Sam: I know**

**Blaine: but it’s worth it**

**Sam: I know**

**Blaine: stop texting me and go talk to her**

**Sam: she won’t be home for another hour**

**Blaine: …**

**Sam: did you see the game last night?**

\---

**Mercedes: but how do you learn to speak someone else’s metaphorical language?**

**Kurt: practice**

**Mercedes: I’m being serious**

**Kurt: so am I**

**Kurt: people learn languages by listening to them and practicing speaking them**

**Kurt: and when they don’t understand something they ask what it means**

**Mercedes: hmmmmm**

**Kurt: just talk to him**

\-----------------------------------

Santana and Brittany’s apartment, Los Angeles, CA

\-----------------------------------

After two trips back to back Santana had accumulated quite a pile of laundry, and she was slowly slogging through it when she heard Brittany squeal from the other room.

“Oh my god!”

“What?” Santana hurried out to her girlfriend, concerned.

“Look at this,” Brittany whispered, pointing to the screen on her computer. Her hand was trembling.

Santana slipped onto the couch next to her, not sure what she was looking for… the browser was open to one of Brittany’s _Fondue For Two_ episodes...the recent one with Beyonce in fact. Santana had been distracted by everything with her Abuela when she’d first watched it, and she made a mental note to go watch it again sometime.

“Just look!” Brittany whispered again.

And then Santana saw it.

The counter for the video showed 84,204 views and 1,638 comments.

“Oh my god Brittany!” she breathed. “Oh my god!”

“Kitty Delights isn’t going to pay me for this one,” Brittany blurted. “Because we just did it backstage and Lord Tubbington wasn’t even there and I didn’t say anything about cat treats.”

Santana ran her lithe fingers over the trackpad on the computer and quickly brought up another _Fondue For Two_ episode–one of the recent ones with Mercedes. “Look, you’ve gotten a lot more views here too,” she murmured.

“I did talk about Kitty Delights on that one!” Brittany squealed. “This is awesome!”

This is more awesome than just the Kitty Delights, Britt. Do you see what this means?” Santana was all at once blown away and also so proud of her girlfriend.

“What are you talking about?” Brittany tipped her head to the side. “More views means more money from my sponsor. That’s awesome.”

“You’re going viral!” Santana exclaimed. “I mean, this one video went viral, but now _Fondue For Two_ is going viral. And look at this,” she pointed to the screen where she had opened Brittany’s profile page and pointed to how many subscribers the channel now had. “This has skyrocketed since two weeks ago. This could be something big for you. I mean, not just on youtube, but, like, you could really go somewhere.” She took a deep breath to let her mouth catch up with her wildly spiralling thoughts. “This might even be able to be a career for you.”

Brittany’s eyes twinkled. “I told you I could make money doing what I love. Just like you do.”

Santana reached her arms around the other girl and pulled her close. “I know you did, and you were right. I’m sorry I ever doubted you.” She kissed the top of the blonde head. “I’m so proud of you.”

\-----------------------------------

The Crystal Theater, New York City

\-----------------------------------

Blaine looked down at the card in his hand and then back up at the building in front of him. Yep, this was definitely the right address, but it was not at all what he had expected. The building was brick, and clearly old. It had the remnants of a formal and elegant look, as if the building had once been some kind of manor house, or maybe a bank or something. It had probably been beautiful at one time, but it was clearly long past its glory days. Some kind of creeping vine covered much of it, and it may have looked elegant in the summer when it was leafed out, but for now it just made the whole place look...old. There was a small plaque beside the door marking the address, and now that he looked closer he could see a production poster taped up in the window beside it.

He approached the front doors and tried to go in but they were locked. He checked his watch. No, this was the right time for rehearsal… perhaps there was another door? He saw a path leading around to the back of the building and followed it. Sure enough there was a small parking lot and an unmarked industrial looking door. He pushed the handle tentatively and the heavy door swung open.

Blaine found himself in a hallway. There were chairs and dressing room doors, coils of rope and a table full of props. The walls were covered with framed playbills and cast photos surrounding production posters, some of which dated back three or four decades. The picture frames were a little dusty, and while some of the posters were bright and new, most had faded with age.

 _This was not what I expected_ , Blaine thought. _My internship is supposed to help propel me into the future, not drag me into the past._  For a moment he considered spinning around and leaving before he even really arrived. Still, Professor Woolf had recommended this place so highly, so he decided to try to find someone to talk to.

He tried a few doors, hoping that there was an office somewhere, or maybe someone in a dressing room who could tell him something. The doors were mostly locked, and the few that did open revealed rooms full of chairs or costumes but no people. Frustrated, Blaine was about to give up and leave when he saw a door he had missed before. A long black curtain hung in front of it, and when Blaine opened the door he realized that the curtain was there to keep the light out, because this was the stage door. He stepped out into the wings and looked over the auditorium. It wasn’t as big as many of the theater spaces he had gotten used to in New York, in fact it may not have been quite as big as the old McKinley auditorium, but it was elegant in an old-fashioned kind of way. There was even a small balcony! Long burgundy curtains hung down the side walls, highlighting the matching upholstery on the theater seats, and as Blaine glanced to his side he noticed that the stage curtain matched as well. He was about to step out onto the stage for a better look at everything when he heard a scraping noise from the half-lit stage, and realized he was not alone.

A small boy, perhaps eight or nine years old, was standing in the middle of the stage, his shoes scuffing on the floor as he tried again and again to execute a tight spin but kept losing his balance and nearly falling over. He appeared to be a precocious kid, with carefully combed hair, a shirt buttoned all the way to the top, and intense concentration on his face.

Blaine couldn’t help remembering another little boy with curly, dark hair who had spent hours practicing spins in his living room (and everywhere else) at a similar age. His heart went out to the kid, so he stepped into the light.

“Hello.”

The boy froze. “Who are you? I don’t recognize you and I’m not supposed to talk to strangers. My mom is right in the next room and I can yell loud so you better not–”

“I’m Blaine,” Blaine said with a smile, trying to assuage the boy’s fears. “I’m here to talk to somebody about helping with _The Music Man._ ”

“Are you gonna be in the play?” the boy asked suspiciously. “Because I was at auditions and first rehearsal and you weren’t there. I would have remembered somebody with a bow tie.”

Blaine laughed. “No, I’m not in the play, I would just be helping with rehearsals.”

“You’re too young to be a director,” the boy said pointedly.

Blaine laughed again. “No, not a director, just a helper. I’m a college student at the New York Academy of Dramatic Arts.”

The boy squinted, put his hands on his hips, and looked Blaine up and down. Twice. “Hmm, well you’re not very big for a grown up, and your eyes look nice, so I guess you’re probably not dangerous.” He took a step forward and held out his hand formally. “I’m Mitchell.”

“Nice to meet you,” Blaine shook his hand. “I’m Blaine.”

“I know. You already said that.” Mitchell huffed in exasperation.

“Right.” This kid didn’t miss much!

“Sooo,” Blaine tried, “isn’t rehearsal supposed to be starting by now?”

“They changed it to later because of somebody’s work schedule or something,” Mitchell explained. “But my mom still brings me right after school so I can practice before everyone else gets here.” He looked down and scuffed his feet back and forth. “I know how to say my words loud, but I’m not very good at the dancing part.”

“Oh,” Blaine hesitated for a minute, unsure if he should step in, but then he remembered that the whole point of coming today was to decide if he wanted to intern as a rehearsal assistant, so he went for it. “You know, maybe I could help you practice a little, would you like that?”

Mitchell looked him up and down, as though assessing his worthiness. “I don’t know, are you any good at dancing?”

“I, well, I’ve been doing it a long time,” Blaine assured him.

“Yeah, but doing it a long time doesn’t mean you’re good. I asked if you’re good.”

“Yes,” Blaine declared. “I’m a good dancer.”

“Ok,” the kid agreed, “you can help me.” He turned away and started stepping in a circle again. “We have this thing with a pat-a-boo-ray,” (he carefully enunciated each syllable). “Do you know what that is? I can’t get it right.”

Blaine smiled, feeling an odd moment of gratitude for Ms. July’s insistence on knowing the names of every step. “Yeah, I can do a pas de bourree,” he said, “but if that is hard for you, maybe we should start by practicing a simpler step, like this.” Blaine started doing a basic step-touch like what the Warblers had always done.

“Why should I do a step that isn’t the one for the show?” Mitchell asked skeptically. “How is doing some other step going to help me learn this one?”

“Well, all steps are related you know,” Blaine explained, “and sometimes if you can teach your legs how to do one, then it’s easier for them to learn the next one.”

Mitchell squinted at him, apparently still not sure, so Blaine continued. “The step-touch is a classic, it’s not just a building block, it’s also versatile enough that if you do it right you can even put it with a cheesy pop song and people will fall in love with you.” He slid his thumb back and forth on his engagement ring, as he did so often now, reveling in the warm metal band and all that it represented.

Mitchell finally nodded. “Ok, show me your step.”

Blaine smiled, “so just start on your right foot like this…” They stepped back and forth for a minute before Blaine had an idea. “Dancing is always better with music, maybe we could sing while we practice?”

Mitchell must have been warming up to him because he nodded almost immediately this time. “What do you want to sing?”

Blaine thought for a moment, trying to come up with a song that a little boy would know. Then it hit him. “Hey, do you know this one?” He hummed [a few lines](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5uXz-K54XnA).

Mitchell scoffed. “Everybody knows that one.”

“Perfect! Sing with me then!”

The little boy grinned and joined Blaine in singing his heart out.

_Let's get down to business to defeat the Huns_

Blaine pointed to his feet and got Mitchell going again on the step-touch. Once they had established a good rhythm, Blaine started adding to it, like taking the step to an angle, and then doing a pivot instead of just a touch. With each addition Mitchell gamely followed suit, caught up in the song and rarely missing a beat with either his singing or his feet.

 _Tranquil as a forest but on fire within_   
_Once you find your center you are sure to win_

Blaine started marching back and forth across the stage, singing at the top of his lungs, and with Mitchell close behind. They were both so wrapped up in the song that neither of them noticed the woman who slipped in through the stage door and stood in the wings watching them. She kept silent, but her eyes tracked their every movement across the stage.

 _(Be a man) We must be swift as the coursing river_   
_(Be a man) With all the force of a great typhoon_

As they reached the final chorus Blaine held out his hand to Mitchell, who took it readily. Together they walked down to the very front of the stage to present their grand finale to their non-existent audience. With their hands held high they belted out the final line.

_Mysterious as the dark side of the moon!_

Blaine dropped into a deep bow, and Mitchell–still grasping his hand–mirrored him. They were both startled by the clapping that burst out behind them as the one woman made her way out onto the stage.

“That was impressive,” she said with a smile.

“Mom, this is Blaine, he’s a good dancer!” Mitchell announced, “and he’s helping me learn classic steps.”

“I see that,” she said, holding out her hand to Blaine. “I’m Marcie.”

He shook her hand. “Hi.”

“What brings you here?” she asked.

Blaine explained that he was a NYADA student, and considering doing an internship here as a rehearsal assistant.

“Just considering?” she asked, a bemused smile on her face.

“Well, I came today to just check things out,” he clarified, glancing down at Mitchell, “but I think I know what my decision is going to be.”

\-----------------------------------

The Loft, New York

\-----------------------------------

“I’ve decided to add yet another thing to my crazy schedule,” said Blaine as he passed the potatoes to Mike, who always insisted on a heaping serving of carbs with every dinner to provide fuel for the next morning’s dance classes.

“Has Artie roped you into another one of his film projects?” asked Quinn. She propped her chin on the back of her fist the way Artie sometimes did, then blinked her eyes at Blaine flirtatiously. “‘Blaine Anderson, you are a gift to the performing arts. I don’t know what I would do without you as my muse!’” she said in teasing imitation of Artie.

Artie rolled his eyes. “That is _not_ how I talk.”

“You’re right,” Quinn said with mock contrition. “Because you’re a baritone and I’m an alto. I should have pitched my voice at least half an octave lower to capture the true you.”

“ _Children,_ ” Rachel said, giving Artie and Quinn meaningful looks. “No fighting at family dinners.”

“We’re not fighting!” Quinn said, pulling a look of wide-eyed innocence. “It’s just some good old-fashioned teasing among siblings.”

“Be that as it may,” Rachel said with a prim grimace, “I believe Blaine was trying to tell us something before you two started your little spat.”

“Ah, that’s true.” Quinn turned to Blaine. “What _is_ your new project?”

Blaine set down his fork and folded his hands together on the table, sitting up a little straighter as he got ready to make his announcement. He was almost preening. His proud posture got the attention of everyone at the table. When all eyes were on him, he said, “My advisor suggested I start my required performing arts internship this semester, so I’d have a leg up when next semester begins. She hooked me up with an off-Broadway theater that’s doing a production of _The Music Man_. I’m going to be a rehearsal assistant.”

Rachel burst into a smile and clapped her hands. “ _The Music Man_! That’s fantastic! When I was a girl, my dream was to play little Ronny Winthrop in the first genderswapped production of #Music Man on Broadway. I guess technically I’m a little old for that, now, but I still love to sing–”

Rachel didn’t get to finish, because the entire table burst out in Ronny Winthrop’s most famous lines from the play:

 _Gary, Indiana, Gary, Indiana,_   
_Not Louisiana, Paris, France, New York, or Rome, but –_   
_Gary, Indiana, Gary, Indiana,_   
_Gary, Indiana – My home sweet home!_

A loud cheer went up. “We would _all_ make amazing Ronny Winthrops!” Artie said, holding his glass of wine out for a toast. “To the best bunch of Ronny Winthrops the world has ever seen!”

Everyone clinked their glasses except for Blaine.

“You don’t agree?” Rachel said in surprise.

“Oh, I think you all would make _wonderful_ Ronny Winthrop's in an age-swapped production of _The Music Man,_ ” he said with a happy laugh. “But I need to have a little loyalty toward my own cast, you know. The little boy who’s playing Ronny Winthrop wouldn’t be very happy if he heard I was toasting you guys at his expense.”

“That’s my fiancé,” Kurt said, reaching out and rubbing Blaine’s forearm. “Always rooting for the little guy.”

Blaine winked. “Maybe because I _am_ the little guy.”

“Not _that_ little,” Kurt said, waggling his eyebrows suggestively.

“Oh my god, you two! Get a room!” burst out Mike.

Kurt looked over his shoulder toward his and Blaine’s bedroom. “We have one. Right over there. In fact, if you all don’t mind, maybe we’ll go there right now.” Kurt grabbed Blaine’s hand and scooted back from the table as if to make good on his promise. Blaine blushed but was clearly enjoying himself.

“Nononono!!” Rachel squealed. “I have overheard enough sex noises from you two to last a lifetime. Save it for when we leave.”

“Fine,” Kurt said with a playful harumph. “Speaking of people who need to get rooms, Mike, any updates on you and Tina?”

Mike coughed loudly. “Sorry, Kurt. I didn’t hear that last part. The potatoes must have gone down the wrong way.”

Kurt repeated himself, and Mike coughed again. “Be that way,” Kurt said with an annoyed glare. “But you know we’re all rooting for you. There’s no reason to hide anything from us.”

“As someone who has been at the center of this group’s gossip mill more than once,” Quinn said, “maybe that’s why Mike doesn’t want to answer. Sometimes it’s nice to keep a secret to yourself for a while and not have the whole gang be a part of it.” She gave Mike a friendly wink.

 _Oh my god, has Tina told Quinn?_ Mike thought. The look on Quinn’s face certainly seemed to indicate that she knew something. Of course, that’s how all the old New Directions had talked about him and Tina even when they were nowhere near dating. So, no, Quinn probably didn’t know anything.

Though Mike suddenly realized he probably wouldn’t mind if she did. Quinn was right that Mike wanted to enjoy his fledgling relationship with before it became fodder for the New Directions’ gossip mill, but Quinn knew how to keep a secret.

He cleared his throat. “Artie and I shot some new footage over the weekend. We should all watch it after dinner.”

“That was the least subtle change of subject I’ve heard in ages,” Kurt said.

Mike ignored him. “It’s the first time I’ve tried choreographing treadmill dancing, so it would be great to get everyone’s feedback.” He nudged Artie on the elbow. “Wouldn’t it, Artie?”

Artie shrugged. “Yo, dog, I already know it’s brilliant. But we can let them [watch it anyway](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DAy2i0gkDKU).”

“Artie, we’re so privileged to be your friends.” Kurt said with an affectionate laugh.

“I know you are,” quipped Artie.

“And we’re still on to do the final re-recordings for the voice-overs on Thursday, right?” Blaine added. “Because now that I have the _Music Man_ rehearsals it’s going to be harder for me to find time to--”

“Yeah, Thursday,” Artie agreed. “This scene with Mike was the last one on my shooting schedule. Actually it was sort of an afterthought to my shooting schedule! I’m glad we did it, but now I have to move on to editing or post-production is going to kick my ass!”

Mike wasn’t convinced that Kurt wouldn’t turn the subject back to Tina, so he went on a preemptive attack. “Kurt, don’t you have some big project you’re working on too? Blaine mentioned something about a musical –”

Mike’s tactic worked. Kurt’s eyes lit up and he tightened his grip on Blaine’s hand, the way he tended to when he got excited about something. “Am I ever! I’m in the master musical writing workshop, and our final project is writing a short musical and putting on a reading. Do you remember that musical I started in high school about Pippa Middleton? _Pip, Pip, Hooray_?”

“I remember you mentioning it, but you never let me look at it,” Mike said

“Me neither!” Rachel said with a pout. “And I’m your best friend!”

“Or me,” piped in Artie, “even after I tried to option it for a movie.”

“Well I feel better now that I wasn’t the only one left out,” muttered Quinn.

“Don’t take it personally, guys,” Blaine said. “He didn’t let me read it, either.”

“And that’s because I never got it to work,” Kurt said. “I came up with some half-decent tunes, and if I may so so myself, the one-liners were excellent –”

“Of course they were,” Blaine said proudly.

“– but I couldn’t get it to gel. There was just something _off_ about it. So I put it away and forgot about it until winter break, when I was sorting through my old files and the problem became clear to me.”

“What was the problem?” Quinn said.

“I was telling it too traditionally. And Pippa Middleton is not a traditional woman. What I realized was, I needed to tell it from an unexpected point of view.”

“So, like, you’re telling it from her butler’s point of view?” Mike asked.

“Nononono,” Kurt said. “That’s already been done.   _Upstairs Downstairs, Remains of the Day, Downton Abbey_. I wanted to do something _really_ different.”

“Tell us!” Rachel said. “The suspense is killing me!”

Kurt smirked. He had them right where he wanted them. “I’m telling it from the point of view of –” Kurt stopped and looked around, letting the suspense build. When he was satisfied that he had everyone at the edges of their seats, he said, “Her _hats_!”

“But that’s perfect!” Rachel said.

“Damn,” Artie said. “It really is. I wish I’d thought of that.”

Kurt’s smiled smugly. “Of course you do. But don’t worry, there’s still plenty of time for you to come up with some brilliant ideas of your own.”

Artie stuck out his tongue at Kurt. Kurt returned the gesture. They burst out laughing.

Blaine nudged his fiancé. “Kurt, you forgot to tell them the other part.”

“Oh, yeah. Well, even though we only have to do a reading, I’ve decided it would really work best as a costumed reading. So I get to design the hats, too. It’ll provide material for each of my portfolios – performing arts and fashion.”

“Wait,” Mike said. “You’re still thinking about fashion? I thought that was just a side thing. I mean, you’re going to the New York Academy of the _Dramatic Arts._ ”

“Dreams have no limits,” Kurt said. “Fashion has been a part of my long-range plan since  I was 16: on Broadway by 25, married by 30, and creator of my own menswear line by 35.” He hesitated. “Or womenswear. That would be okay, too.”

“Good for you, Kurt,” Quinn said, reaching her hand across the table for a high five. “If I can do a double major, you can totally do a double career.”

“Wait, you’re doing a _double major_? At _Yale_?” Artie said. “Sheesh, next you’re gonna tell me that you have a perfect 4.0 grade point average, too.”

All Quinn had to do was give Artie a look, and he realized that what he’d intended as teasing had actually been right on the mark. “Damn, girl. That’s smoking!”

The table burst out in laughter for the umpteenth time that night.

"I have an announcement too," Rachel said softly as the noise level came down. Everyone stared at her. Rachel had never been one to keep good news to herself if there was an audience around, so that meant this was probably bad news.

"What happened?" Kurt asked gently, reaching over and putting his hand on hers.

"I got a part," she smiled.

"What?" Artie asked in confusion.

"I got cast in a show!" Rachel squealed. Quinn grinned. She'd had a hard time keeping it to herself all night but she wasn't going to steal Rachel's moment.

"That's fantastic!" Blaine gushed. "What show! Where!"

"Well it's off-Broadway," she admitted, "and it's just a little no-name part in the background. But it's _Oklahoma!_ and I have always wanted to do that show."

"Laurie is one of your dream roles," Kurt remembered. "Do you at least get to understudy or something?"

"No," Rachel said (she sure was taking this better than anyone would have expected her to!) "but it's a show, and I'm in it, and I got there myself and I feel good about it."

"As you should!" Quinn cheered.

Mike nodded. "We're really proud of you Rachel. You've had a long road this year but you're doing awesome."

\-----------------------------------

Brittany and Santana’s apartment, Los Angeles, CA

\-----------------------------------

Santana sighed and rolled her eyes as she set down her phone.

“What?” Brittany asked, glancing up as she set the table for dinner.

“Oh, just some people don’t think before they do stupid stuff in public, and then it’s my job to try to make them look good again. And sometimes it’s tiring. I mean I like doing it, you know, but sometimes I wish it didn’t all have to be setups and arranged appearances. Sometimes it would be nice if I could just make a public service announcement about a person.” She spread her hands wide, looping her finger around as though drawing a billboard in the air. “‘Starlet Z had her twitter hacked. She is not leaving her show, is not pregnant, and emphatically denies having ‘liked’ that tweet about her former co-star. Furthermore she recently donated $4,000 to a tsunami relief fund because she really does care about people besides herself.’” Santana sighed.

“Um,” Brittany said cautiously.

“What?” Santana came out of her daydream and redirected her focus to the woman across from her.

“Maybe you can help your clients make announcements like that,” she said with a smile.

“What?”

“ _Fondue for Two,_ ” Brittany shrugged matter-of-factly. “If any of them wanted to, I would be willing to do an episode with them, and they could say what they want people to know.”

Santana’s eyes went wide. “Oh my god, Brittany, that’s brilliant!”

Brittany flipped her hair, winked, and turned around to get the casserole out of the oven. “I know!”

“No, really, it is!” Santana continued. “I mean, you have a lot of subscribers now, so people would see the interviews, and it could be a really good venue for someone to get good publicity!” She furrowed her brow, her mind obviously running a thousand miles a minute. “Especially because most of my clients are still too small to be able to get onto some of those bigger talk shows yet,” she added to herself. “This could be amazing.”

“I’m glad you think so,” Brittany said, grabbing her hand. “But this casserole is getting less amazing by the moment as we let it get cold. So let’s eat now, and figure all of this out later, ok?”

Santana grinned. “Ok.”

\-----------------------------------

The Loft, New York

\-----------------------------------

Blaine was sitting with his legs up on the couch and his ipad in his lap. He hadn’t started that way, but as Kurt spread more and more papers across the floor he had soon realized that it would be better to pull his feet up and stay out of Kurt’s way. When Kurt got intent on organizing something he tended to need large areas of floor to do it, and woe unto the person who stepped on a paper or allowed even the slightest breeze to to shift where each one lay.

“How’s it going?” Blaine asked, not sure if Kurt was too far focused to answer, but genuinely interested all the same.

“Well I realized that this scene will work better if I move it into Act II,” Kurt said, pointing at a cluster of papers,” but then she’s going to be in the other dress at that point, and the hat I had for that part doesn't match but I can't switch hats so I’m going to have to completely rework the dress. But,” he looked up with a glint in his eye, “If I cut it on the bias and add a contrasting fabric pleat then I can make it coordinate and I can still get it made from the same piece of fabric.” He beamed, waving the costume sketch and fabric swatch in Blaine’s direction. “You know how excited I was when I found this stuff, but it was the end of the bolt and I can’t get any more.”

Blaine nodded, “It is a really lovely color.”

“I know,” Kurt was staring at another paper now. “What are you looking at?” he asked, quirking his head toward the ipad.

“I was browsing apartments.”

“Oh,” Kurt looked up. “Are you finding anything good? We’ve been looking on and off since November, but I’m starting to get discouraged. I’m not sure that a student’s budget–or even two students’ budgets–can get us anything closer in than this.”

“Actually there is one here that I think might be worth looking at,” Blaine said. “It’s small, only one bedroom–” Kurt opened his mouth but Blaine held up a finger to stop him. “And I know we want two so we can have a work room, but it’s a nice location.”

“Where is it?” Kurt asked, rifling through the papers in his hand again. “It’s got to be close to the subway of course.”

“Of course,” Blaine agreed.

“But it would be nice if it were close to NYADA or the Vogue offices. I’d really like to have a shorter commute.”

“This is actually still in Brooklyn,” Blaine replied, “so the commute wouldn’t be shorter, but it’s in a better neighborhood, and it has real walls.”

Kurt nodded somewhat absentmindedly as his focus returned to his project, “well that’s something to consider I guess.”

“I actually looked this one up specifically because I saw a sign in front of it when I was coming back from The Crystal this afternoon. It looked like a nice place.”

“You really like working there, don’t you.” It wasn’t a question. It didn’t need to be.

A smile spread across Blaine’s face. “Yeah, I really do.”

“What is it about that place?” Kurt asked.

“I’m not sure actually.” Blaine pursed his lips and stared into space for a few moments, trying to organize his thoughts. “I guess I like that I’m part of a team there, instead of always in competition with everyone like at NYADA. The cast of this show aren’t professionals, they’re just a bunch of people who are there because they want to be there, because they love the craft. There’s not so much ego, instead there’s a lot of friendliness. I like working with people of different ages, from senior citizens down to kids.”

His face lit up as he continued, “There’s this one kid, actually, Mitchell; he plays Ronny, and he’s just this little tiny guy, you know? But he is so desperate to get it right. He tries so hard! He’s scared of messing up and so he holds himself back. I’ve been helping him though, and he’s getting pretty good. We have four more weeks until the performance, and I think he is going to kill it out there.”

“You know,” Kurt murmured as he set down his papers, and carefully stepped over the piles to situate himself on the couch next to Blaine, “I remember one time you telling me that when you grew up you just wanted to make art and help people.”

Blaine hadn’t stopped grinning. “I did, didn’t I?”

“Well, you did also say that you wanted to live at the bar,” Kurt reminded him with a teasing poke to his ribs. “And then you tried to convince me to have sex in the backseat of a car…”

“Hey, don’t knock car sex!”

“Oh, I’m _not!_ ” Kurt chuckled. “But I don’t know, maybe I shouldn’t hold you responsible for _everything_ you said that night.”

“Hmmmm,” Blaine murmured. “I think I was on to something though. I mean having a creative outlet, being able to make music or perform for an audience, those things really do make me the happiest.”

“Besides me!” Kurt said with a fake pout.

“Obviously,” Blaine smiled. “I’m serious though. I love performing, you know that.” Kurt nodded somberly but the twinkle was still in his eyes. Blaine continued “but I also really love being part of a team, and helping other people be able to find their talents too.”

Kurt just smiled at him. “That’s one of the things I’ve always loved about you Blaine, that you always take the time to include and support others, instead of just clawing your way to the top. You could have the spotlight all the time if you wanted it, but instead you always share.”

Blaine blushed slightly and looked down at his lap.

“So,” Kurt said, snuggling up to him, “show me this apartment.”

\-----------------------------------

Mercedes and Sam’s apartment, Los Angeles

\-----------------------------------

Mercedes pushed the heavy apartment door shut behind herself, setting her purse on the counter and hanging up her jacket. Sam was sitting on the floor in front of the coffee table. He had papers spread all over it and was clearly working on a new _Accidental Heroes_ strip.

“Hey babe.”

“Hey, Mercedes!” he jumped up and came across the room to hug her. “How was your day?”

She sighed, relaxing into the comfort of his arms.

“That bad, huh?”

“It was fine, I’m just tired I guess.” She threw him a little half-smile before going to settle in on the couch.

“Um, Mercedes?” he asked, sitting next to her.

“Yeah?”

He reached out and took her hands in his own, licking his lips and letting a nervous grin flash across his face before he dove in. “You seem upset lately, and I don’t know what’s wrong, but I want to fix it. So will you talk to me? Please?”

She sighed again, this time with a little chuckle. “I love you Sam. You can be kind of clueless sometimes, but when it counts you always know what to say.”

He nodded, great seriousness in his eyes. “I’m trying Mercedes, but sometimes I don’t know what to say because I don’t know what the problem is.”

Mercedes took a deep breath. “Ok Sam, I’m going to try to explain. I don’t know if it will make sense, because sometimes I feel like our life experiences are too different to be able to really understand each other very well. But I do want to figure this out with you.”

He nodded, watching her carefully and waiting patiently for her to continue.

“I’m Black, Sam.”

“What!” he blurted with a grin. “Wait, why didn’t you tell me before now!”

“This is serious, Sam!” she tried to repress a smile.

“I know it is,” he apologized, “but I couldn’t help it. I needed to see you smile before we get too deep and serious here.” He cleared his throat. “Sorry, go ahead. I’m listening, I promise.”

She glared at him for a moment, but they both knew she wasn’t really mad. She took another deep breath and tried again. “We’ve been talking for a long time about having a future together. About getting married, and having kids…”

He nodded, eyes bright but mouth carefully kept shut.

“And I just worry about that. Any of the kids we have, people will see them as Black. Have you thought about that?”

He squinted at her. “You know I don’t care what color people are. I love you. I’ll love our kids if or when we have them. I’m not sure where you’re going with this.”

“I’m not worried about you loving your own kids, Sam,” Mercedes said. “I know you will. But you’ll have a whole set of worries that you’ve never had to think about before.” She turned away from him, staring off into the distance. “Every time I see on the news about an unarmed Black man who’s been shot by the police, I worry about my brothers, my cousins, my dad – even my grandpa. All Black men are treated like suspects – not by everybody, but by just enough people to make life dangerous.

“Black girls aren’t treated any better. We may not be guilty-until-proven-innocent, but a lot of people assume that we are dumb, that we sleep around, that if we get raped it’s because we were asking for it. That happens with white girls, too, but it is worse for women of color. All of this is stuff you’ll have to be ready for with your own kids. Teaching them how to be safe and how to avoid trouble. Because if a white teenager gets pregnant it’s an unfortunate mistake, but if a Black teenager gets pregnant it was inevitable. And if a white boy decides to experiment with drugs and take his neighbors’ cars for joyrides then he’s just going through a rebellious phase, but if a Black boy does it, he’s a danger to society and he gets locked up (unless the police kill him first).”

Sam whistled softly. “I hadn’t really thought about that,” he admitted. “I mean I’ve lived in poor areas before, you know? I’ve felt like people judged me before they even got a chance to know me. But I hadn’t thought about my looks making a difference in that.”

Mercedes nodded slowly. “White privilege is a thing, Sam. It’s real.”

“I don’t want it to be!” he declared passionately.

She smiled. “I know, babe. I know.” She reached out for his hand and squeezed softly. “I’d like to hope that with time things will change. But this is the world we live in right now.”

He scooted up against her, wrapping one long arm around her shoulder and holding her hand in her lap with the other. “I can tell this really matters to you, Mercedes. I know we’ve talked about this before, but I guess I never really realized just how big this whole race thing was. Is. I’ve kind of brushed it off in the past, and I’m sorry for that.” He rubbed his hand up and down her arm briskly, as though it could help get his message through to her.

“I think I understand better now why you’ve been so wound up about this,” Sam murmured. “Thank you for telling me so that I can try to understand better. You’re right, a lot of this is stuff I never realized before.” He kissed the top of her head and she nuzzled into his shoulder. “I wish I could just fix it all. Make it all simpler.”

“I just worry about so many things, you know?”

“I know,” he whispered, then his voice shifted [into song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hrFInmgDwlM) as he continued.

 _We'll do it all. Everything on our own_   
_We don't need anything or anyone_

He slowly stroked the side of her face, her neck, her arm.

“Mmmm,” she murmured, “I wish it was that simple.”

 _If I lay here, If I just lay here_   
_Would you lie with me and just forget the world?_

“There are a lot of things I don’t know,” he admitted with a cheesy grin. “But I do know that no matter what happens, all anybody can hope to do is try to find someone they love, and then take care of each other, and do their best to be happy in this big crazy world.” He ran his fingers up and down her arm affectionately. “

 _I don't know where, confused about how as well_   
_Just know that these things will never change for us at all_

“You’re the one that I love; the one I want to take care of, and the one who makes me happy Mercedes.”

 _If I lay here, if I just lay here_   
_Would you lie with me and just forget the world?_

“You can be a very wise man when the mood strikes you, Sam,” she whispered, snuggling up to him. “Thank you for making me talk about this instead of bottling it all up. And you know, the world is going to keep on turning, and even though change comes slowly and there are some really big problems out there, I have to believe that things will change. I mean look at how much things have changed for same-sex couples in just the last few years. So we can definitely hope for things to keep getting better for couples,” she squeezed his hand, “for _families_ like ours.”

“For a smart woman you do have your dumb moments,” he whispered back. “Freaking out by yourself when you could have shared with me so we could deal with things together.”

She laughed softly. “I’m sorry babe. I kinda keep doing this, don’t I.” He nodded and she playfully slugged his arm before turning serious again. “I’m going to try to be better about that in the future. Because I do want this future with you. You are stuck with me Sam Evans. I have no plans to let you go.”

“Good!” he agreed, “because you’re not getting rid of me. Ever! Now com’ere.” He pulled her over onto him for a heartfelt kiss, and as their lips met the stress and frustration melted off of her.

“God, I love you so much,” she whispered as he kissed along her jawline.

“I love you too Mercedes,” he sighed into her mouth as he pulled her ever closer. “Always.”

\-----------------------------------

The Crystal Theater, New York City

\-----------------------------------

Blaine didn’t even pause on the front sidewalk this time, hurrying straight around to the stage door in back and carefully setting his satchel and coat in a little heap in the hallway before heading in to the stage. He had met the director, Annie Blackmore, as well as several cast members at the small rehearsals he’d come to over the last week, but tonight was the first time he would be seeing everyone. They were starting work on the big group number _Seventy Six Trombones_ , and it was bound to be a crazy night because that’s how big group numbers just always were.

The stage was full of undirected energy, as early rehearsals often are. Blaine looked around for the director, to ask what she wanted him to do tonight. She appeared to be deep in conversation with the rehearsal pianist though, so Blaine waited where he was, taking a minute to look over the rest of the cast instead. There were all the typical people he would have expected to see: young adults who were a little too serious for their own good, lighthearted senior citizens who could still bust a move, and kids. Always kids. He smiled and raised his hand in a small wave when Mitchell caught his eye and grinned.

A moment later Mitchell was standing next to him, breathless and eyes alight with an energy that hadn’t been there the first time they met.

“Hi Mister Blaine, how are you?” Mitchell was practically bouncing as he talked.

“You can just call me Blaine,” he grinned, “and I’m feeling great tonight!”

“Me too!” He bounded off again.

“Not many kids can pull off a bow tie like that,” someone chuckled next to him.

“Hmm?” Blaine turned to see that the director was standing right beside him. “Oh, hi Mrs. Blackmore.”

She snorted. “Call me Annie, and I’m so glad you’ve decided to join us. This number has 42 people on stage at once and it’s going to be utter chaos today probably. As soon as we go through basic choreography I’m going to want you to take a bunch of them to the green room to run through it about a hundred times. Does that sound ok?”

“You’re the director,” Blaine grinned. “Let’s go for it!”

\---

Two hours later Blaine had stepped into the hall to grab a water bottle from his satchel. He was sweaty but he couldn’t stop grinning.

“Blaine?” a soft voice behind him asked.

Blaine spun around, wiping spilled water from his cheek and chin as he did so. “Oh, hi Marcie!”

“I just wanted to say thank you so much for helping Mitchell the other day.”

“Oh, no problem,” Blaine grinned. “He’s a sweet kid.”

“I don’t know if you understand how much of a difference you made for him–are making for him,” she continued. “He’s so much more confident now than he was then. And did you see his outfit today? She bit her lip to keep her grin under control.

“You mean the bowtie?”

“He asked me to get that for him. He said he always thought they were cool, but that he was scared to wear them because nobody else did. But then he saw that you had one, and he decided that if you could wear what made you happy then he could do it too.”

“Awwww,” Blaine felt his ears getting warm, and not from the two hours of singing and dancing. “That’s really sweet.” He remembered when he had first started wearing bowties as a kid. It hadn’t just been about how they looked (although he loved that), it had also been that he felt so put together–so held together–with that firm little knot around his neck.

“He adores you,” Marcie added softly. “Thank you for being the kind of person that is safe for a kid to look up to.”

Blaine swallowed thickly. “Thank you,” he whispered. “I am trying to be.”

“I know you hardly know me,” Marcie blurted, “but maybe, can I…?” she held out her arms invitingly.

“I’m kind of sweaty and gross…” Blaine warned.

She laughed and hugged him tightly.

“ _Everyone on the stage in two minutes for a final group runthrough before we all go home,_ ” a voice came over the intercom.

“I’ve got to go,” Blaine said as he shoved his water bottle back into his bag.

Marcie nodded. “I’ll see you out there.”

\---

“Alrighty everyone,” Annie hollered to the mulling masses on the stage. “This is undoubtedly going to be a bit messy, but we’re not stopping! So no matter what happens just keep going as best as you can, ok?”

Heads nodded and a murmur of “ok” and “alright” rippled through the group.

The director turned to Blaine, who was standing beside the piano since he wasn’t actually in the performance. “Would you read the cue lines for us please? Since our cast isn’t off-book yet I think that will be easier.”

Blaine grinned as he grabbed a script and started searching for the right page. “Of course!” He found the right page, and glanced at Annie. She nodded to him to [begin](https://youtu.be/rroZXCYbqmc?t=29m57s).

"May I have your attention please!” Blaine boomed, raising his hand in the air and getting into the part even though he still stood by the piano. “I can deal with this trouble, friends, with the wave of my hand, this very hand!”

The other cast members were restless as Blaine read through the long monologue, shifting their weight back and forth or bouncing on their feet getting ready to start the dance they had all been practicing all evening. Blaine strode across the stage, getting into it. “Please observe me if you will, I’m Professor Harold Hill and I'm here to organise the River City's boys band!"

Since there was only the rehearsal piano and not a full performance orchestra, Blaine started making noises of various instruments as they were supposed to come in. “Ra-da-ra-da-da-da-da-ra-da!”

“I say River City's gotta have a boys band and I mean she needs it today!” he continued with remarkable energy considering that he had just been dancing his feet off for the last two hours. “But Professor Harold Hill's on hand and River City's gonna have a boys band!”

Blaine was practically bouncing as he reached the climax of the speech. “And you'll see the glitter of crashing cymbals, and you'll hear the thunder of roaring drums, the shimmer of trumpets. Ta-ta-da!!

With a grand flourish and a gesture toward the actor who was actually playing the lead role, Blaine stepped back to his place by the piano just before the full cast began singing and started their coordinated steps.

 _Seventy-six trombones led the big parade_   
_With a hundred and ten cornets close at hand._

Blaine couldn’t help it, the energy of a performance (even with no audience) always got to him. He found a place near the kids he had been helping and joined in the dance.

_There were horns of ev'ry shape and kind._

Mitchell was right beside him, tongue between his teeth in concentration as he stepped left, twisted right, and raised his hands high above his head. Blaine grinned as he watched the boy execute a perfect pas de bourree. Mitchell caught his eye and grinned back as they moved across the stage to get into formation for the finale.

 _And trumpeters who'd improvise_   
_A full octave higher than the score!_

 _This_ , Blaine thought breathlessly as everyone around him high-fived and fist-bumped about the relatively successful runthrough. _This is it. This is what makes me happy. It’s not about money or prestige, it’s about the rush of the performance._

  
****

\----------------------------------------------------------------------  
Thank you for reading this weeks episode! We hope you enjoyed it.  <3 If you're in the mood for a little bit more music and a little bit more theatre, and haven't seen it yet, then we recommend watching the full The Music Man musical! :) And thank you to everyone who leaves comments, kudos, or sends us fan mail on our [ Tumblr ](http://gleeseasonfix.tumblr.com/)

See you next week for an episode that has quite an international touch!  

[Here you can find the chapter cover on tumblr](http://gleeseasonfix.tumblr.com/post/116855143636/read-here-episode-16-make-art-and-help-people)  
  
[ Here the stills if you'd like to reblog them.](http://gleeseasonfix.tumblr.com/post/116738263151/gsf-episode-16-stills-make-art-and-help)

[ And here's the music play list with all songs from this season so far. To find on YouTube.](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLROpgNDpvdlFsz1kMXL_byUttfy5XjJfI)

 

Songs:

The Vibratos: [Consent](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTxlB_RFrB0) by Jack Howard & Dean Dobbs  
Blaine: [I’ll Make a Man Out of You](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5uXz-K54XnA) (from Mulan) (cover by Darren Criss)  
Sam: [Chasing Cars](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XaKr98ktoxU) by Snow Patrol  
Blaine and ensemble:[ Seventy-six Trombones](https://youtu.be/rroZXCYbqmc?t=29m57s) (from The Music Man)

 

 


	17. Best Friends Forever

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the midst of their busy lives, old friends find the time to take a break and laugh together as they share old memories and make new ones. The Vibratos (the new New Directions), The Glee Moms (Gloms), Puck and Lauren, Tina and Quinn, and others contemplate how their friendships have affected their lives. As their anniversary approaches, Kurt and Blaine get nostalgic about their early days before they got together, and look forward to getting married. Meanwhile the best men work on some wedding plans of their own.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written by [ gingerfic ](http://archiveofourown.org/users/gingerfic/pseuds/gingerfic), [ thedementress](http://thedementress.tumblr.com/) and [ Wowbright ](http://archiveofourown.org/users/wowbright/pseuds/wowbright)  
> Beta by [ HKvoyage ](http://hkvoyage.tumblr.com) and  
> [ alwaysfallingforanidea ](http://alwaysfallingforanidea.tumblr.com/)  
> concept assistance from [ Soofreakincharmy ](http://soofreakincharmy.tumblr.com)
> 
> Glee Season Fix (“GSF”) was written independently of spoilers about Glee Season 6. If songs or plots overlap, it’s due to coincidence or nature of the storylines that need resolution. If references pop up, we excuse ourselves for not being able to hold back.
> 
> Like on the show, GSF also includes songs and performances. There are links to full versions of each song, as well as a few pieces of lyrics quoted in the scene. We hope you will enjoy listening as well as reading, but be aware that the written version is shortened, whereas the audio versions are the full songs. The songs in this episode are in many languages, but English lyrics are included in the text.

_Previously on Glee Season Fix..._

_Everybody in the New Directions dated everybody else in the New Directions. It was just a thing they did. Even the gay and lesbian members of glee club had their bouts with opposite sex partners. And one time Sam fake-married Brittany, remember that? That was after the one time he was dating Mercedes but before the other time he was dating Mercedes. Maybe you just had to be there._

_Anyway, now they are mostly all paired off and pretty happy with the arrangement, but their shared history has made for a lot of friendships: some sweet and some just plain weird. But apparently what happens in glee club doesn’t stay in glee club, or even in Ohio, because friendships last forever, and that’s kind of great._

_Oh yeah, and Kurt and Blaine? In spite of the early awkward dating situations with Mercedes, Brittany, Rachel, and Tina, they actually have an anniversary coming up this week. Maybe they’ll do something cool to celebrate._

****  
  


March 2015

–––––––––––––––––-

Brown University Campus

–––––––––––––––––-

Tina whipped out her phone as she started the walk home after her last class of the week.

**Tina to Quinn: Was your week as crazy as mine?**

**Tina: I have a professor who is totally sadistic**

**Quinn to Tina:  It was my spring break actually**

**Tina: Oh! mine is next week**

**Quinn: I spent it in NYC, helping Rachel move into a new apartment**

**Tina: Oh god she moved AGAIN?!**

**Quinn: Yes**

**Tina: How long do you think she’ll last this time?**

**Quinn: A long time actually**

**Tina: ?**

**Quinn: She moved in with Shelby**

**Tina: Shelby?**

**Quinn: Her birth mother**

**Tina: THAT SHELBY?????**

**Quinn: Yes that Shelby**

**Tina: So you saw her too?**

**Quinn: Yes. And Beth.**

**Tina: Wow**

**Tina: How was it?**

**Tina: And how are you?**

**Quinn: It was great. We had some really good talks.**

**Tina: Oh good**

**Tina: So you’re ok?**

**Quinn: Yes :D**

**Tina: How long were you there?**

**Quinn: Five days**

**Tina: Did you see anyone else?**

**Quinn: Mostly I hung out with Rachel, Shelby and Beth, but I did go to Monday night potluck dinner with everybody at Kurt and Blaine’s place**

**Tina: Are they still in that weird apartment with no walls?**

**Quinn: Yes**

**Quinn: But at least they don’t have other roommates anymore**

**Tina: That’s good. Sam said they were loud…**

**Tina: ;)**

**Quinn: Oh god**

**Tina: You’ve never had a roommate have you**

**Quinn: NO! And I don’t want one!**

**Tina: Ha ha ha ha**

**Quinn: It sounds terrible, having to share a little space like that**

**Tina: I guess**

**Tina: It can be fun too**

**Tina: So how was everyone? I’m jealous you got to see them all. I just spent the week working my ass off. All my professors seem to think they should have big assignments due the week before break**

**Quinn: Well at least that means you don’t have too much work to do over break, right?**

**Tina: True… but I have no life so it doesn’t really matter**

**Quinn: Why don’t you take the train down to NYC?**

**Quinn: I bet somebody would have a couch you can crash on.**

**Quinn: Think of it as a brain break**

**Tina: That sounds awesome but I’m still kinda broke**

**Quinn: Well, lucky for you, you know someone with a few rail passes sitting in her drawer. I will email you a code and you can just print it out.**

**Tina: Aww Quinn, you don’t have to**

**Quinn: Seriously, I bought a book of 10 because they’re cheaper that way. I don’t mind sharing one. I don’t know how often I’ll use them**

**Tina: You have to let me pay you back**

**Quinn: Deal. I accept payment in homemade baked goods**

**Quinn: My brownies are never as good as yours**

**Tina: You’re the best**

**Quinn: So are you**

–––––––––––––––––-

The Loft, New York City

–––––––––––––––––-

“Where are you staying?” Blaine asked Tina conversationally over dinner the next Monday night.

“Oh Mike’s roommate is gone for the week, so I’m staying there.”

“I was surprised you didn’t call us,” Kurt said. “I mean we do have a lot of room here.”

“Well I had an actual bed available,” Mike blurted quickly, hoping that nobody read anything into the comment. God, this thing of keeping the relationship secret was not easy when they were all sitting around a table like this. Thankfully, Rachel was quick to turn the conversation toward herself.

“Well, I have been rehearsing three nights a week for _Oklahoma!_ ,” she announced, “and while I do not have a lead role, I have been reviewing all of Laurie and Ado Annie’s lines just in case of an emergency. One can never be too prepared.”

“Um, haven’t you known all of Laurie’s lines since you were ten?” Kurt asked. “That was one of your three dream roles: Evita, Fanny, and Laurie, and I know you studied them all because you made me run lines with you in high school.”

“Yes,” Rachel admitted. “But a performer must always keep her instrument in perfect shape.”

“Speaking of perfect shape,” Blaine muttered, “I haven’t danced this hard this often, or been this sore since I was in Dance 101 with Cassandra July last year.”

“How is your show going?” Tina asked with interest.

Blaine grinned. “Oh, it’s great! I’m loving working with everybody there. I can’t believe we only have two weeks left until the show opens!”

“I can relate to using unfamiliar muscles,” Mike noted, stretching his arms high over his head and then cracking his neck.

"Somebody finally got laid, yo!" Artie said brightly.

Mike gave him a dirty look. “No, I mean these rehearsals for the Hedwig revue are pretty demanding, and some of the moves are outright weird.”

Kurt squinted at him. “Weird?”

“Well, like, I’ve learned a dozen styles of dancing,” Mike explained, “but some moves aren’t from any style, they are just ways to bend your body that are, like, sex positions or something. It’s just different.”

"I called it," Artie declared. "Boy got some action!" He reached out a hand to high-five but Mike ignored him.

“What are _you_ up to lately, Artie?” Tina cut in, determined to turn the conversation to something other than Mike’s sex life (because Mike definitely _had_ been using some unfamiliar muscles last night, but she definitely did #not want to have a conversation with everyone about it!)

“Oh I’m in post-production on my documentary!” he announced proudly. “I’ve been sound mixing today mostly. It’s a little more complicated than a standard soundtrack because I have to blend the music from the dance routines alongside the regular background music.” He shrugged. “I guess it might seem laborious to someone else, but I kind of love seeing all the parts coming together into a finished product.”

“Speaking of seeing parts come together,” Blaine said, “you should see what Kurt has been up to.”

“Oh, stop it!” Kurt shushed him. “That’s all I’ve talked about for three weeks, and I’m sure they’re tired of hearing about Pippa Middleton’s singing hats. We have to give them a break or they’ll all refuse to come to the performance.”

“No one would refuse to come see a production that you wrote, arranged, costumed, and directed!” Blaine said loyally.

“Well…,” Rachel started, but Kurt glared at her. “Nope, we wouldn’t,” she finished. “We all support each other’s projects, always.”

“It’s just a little overwhelming sometimes,” Kurt admitted. “I am really proud of what I’ve created, but sometimes I look at what is still left to do and think, god, it will never be done. Or I get worried about the parts that are outside of my control, like the actors who are doing the actual reading…”

Artie leaned over and looked at him seriously. “Kurt, I’ve been there. But a good director provides good material, and useful feedback, and then trusts the artists to bring it to life. You’re doing your part, let them do theirs.”

“I’m just not used to relying on other people,” Kurt grumbled. “Especially not where my grade is involved!”

Several people nodded sympathetically.

“No matter what the actors do, your script and your costumes are amazing, Kurt,” Blaine reassured him. “I’m sure your professors will be able to see that.” He batted his eyes at Kurt, who blew him an air kiss in return.

Right on cue, Rachel hollered “Get a room, guys!”

Blaine rolled his eyes. “Like we’ve never heard that before,” he teased.

“You hear it at this table almost every week,” Mike said flatly.

Tina giggled. “God, sometimes I wish I had come to New York with all of you. I love being at Brown, but I wish I could see all of your shows, and sometimes I wish I could be here to tease Blaine and Kurt or--”

“Be teased by them?” Kurt suggested, one sassy eyebrow raised.

“Here we go again,” Artie warned, and Mike set down his fork and put his head in his hands.

“What?” Tina asked, not yet having caught on.

“Well, you all keep telling us to get a room,” Kurt said slowly, “and we’re just wondering if we should get you and Mike a room and lock you in it until you finally admit that you belong together.”

“We set you up on an epic date and everything,” Blaine reminded them (as though they could forget it!) “We really don’t understand why you’re fighting the inevitable.”

“Sorry,” Mike mouthed at her, “they do this a lot.”

Tina raised an eyebrow, determined to not let the cat out of the bag about being back together with Mike. “Why do you all assume I should get back with Mike?” she asked coyly. “Maybe I should go back to Artie. He was my first boyfriend, after all. Isn’t that how the whole romantic comedy thing is supposed to work?”

Mike snorted, Artie’s jaw dropped open, and Kurt had to bite on both of his lips HARD to keep from laughing aloud.

“Everyone in glee club did kind of date everyone else,” Blaine noted. “I mean like, really, everyone.”

“One time in senior year Kurt and I went to see Miss Pillsbury about performing arts schools,” Rachel remembered, “and when we told her we had big news she thought we were going to announce that we were dating each other.”

Blaine put his hand over his mouth to stifle his giggles. “Oh my god, Kurt you didn’t tell me that!”

“It didn’t seem important at the time,” Kurt muttered with a glare at Rachel.

“So, wait, I think I missed some good stuff in the years before I got to McKinley,” Blaine said. “Like Tina, I knew you and Artie were besties, but somehow I missed the memo on you having dated.

“This really requires some kind of graph to explain it all,” Artie noted. “In my freshman year alone I think Finn dated Quinn _and_ Rachel _and_ Santana.”

Kurt was shaking his head. “No, he never dated Santana, he just had sex with her.”

“Moving on!” Rachel said a bit too loudly, “Artie dated a long string of girls, starting with Tina, then Brittany, and that short cheerleader…”

“Kitty,” Blaine offered with a nod.

“Hey,” Artie interrupted. “If you want to talk about playas, you can’t forget Puck!”

“Oh god.” Kurt buried his face in his hands.

Mike, on the other hand, perked up. “He was with Santana, then Quinn, and Rachel, and Mercedes, and Zizes, and basically everyone else…”

“Wait, Puck dated Mercedes?” Kurt looked confused. “How did I miss that one?”

“Maybe the same way you missed when you were dating Mercedes dear,” Rachel said with a gentle pat to his arm.

“Oh, yeah,” he shot back, “like the way you dated Blaine?!”

Blaine lost it then, laughing so hard he had to push his chair back and hold his stomach.

“Sue always did say that the glee club was an incestuous little group,” Artie mused. “Maybe she wasn’t so far off…”

“I resent that!” Tina snapped.

“You did try to date Blaine once too,” Mike reminded her softly. He hadn’t intended for anyone else to overhear but apparently Blaine did (or guessed at what Mike had said) because he almost slid out of his chair with how hard he was laughing.

“My friends,” Artie announced, “I have been mixing soundtracks all day, and now it seems that I cannot help but assign musical accompaniment to every scene that I see. Therefore, I offer you this.” He set his phone on the table, and pressed the volume button to turn it all the way up as [the music began](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GBT37_yyzY).

As soon as the first words started, everyone started laughing. Oh they knew this song! And while they might not always like to admit it, it was remarkably fitting for their history together, all things considered.

Rachel wasted no time in making the most of the moment, grabbing her spoon like a microphone and stepping away from the table so that everyone could fully appreciate her performance.

_All the broken hearts in the world still beat_   
_Let's not make it harder than it has to be_

It had only taken a couple of lines before everyone else was joining her, moving away from the table and singing along. Blaine jumped on a chair (and oh he hadn’t climbed on enough furniture in a long time!) Kurt situated himself between Rachel and Tina, blithely bumping hips with one and then the other in turn as they sang along.

_Ohh, it's all the same thing_   
_Girls chase boys chase girls, chase girls, chase boys, chase boys, chase girls_

“Boys chase boys!” Blaine sang loudly from his perch atop the chair, shaking his ass as he spun around and narrowly avoided losing his balance. Without missing a beat he held out his hand to Kurt, who pranced over, took it and twirled under his arm a couple of times. Then he grinned salaciously, slapped that fine ass, and returned to the girls.

Mike had moved into the open space near the door so that he could move more freely, letting ripples slide through his body as smoothly as ever. Tina tried to be discreet about it, but she couldn’t keep herself from watching him. _Thank god I’m staying over at his place,_  she thought. _I need to get my hands all over that!_

Artie belted the bridge as loudly as he could.

_I got two hands, one beating heart and I'll be alright_   
_I'm gonna be alright_

Mike, Tina, Blaine, Kurt, and Rachel had all lined up now, back to chest in a tight row, imitating the hip-thrusting dancing from the music video. Artie grabbed Blaine’s ipad off the coffee table and started taking a video of them.

Kurt and Rachel both had their eyes closed, lost in the music and the performance. Mike looked like he was concentrating, in spite of the grin on his face. Tina kept looking back and forth between everyone else, trying to make sure she stayed in sync with them. And Blaine, well, Blaine kept winking at Artie (or maybe it was at the camera) as Tina slid her hands up and down his arms, his hands worked their way back and forth on Kurt’s hips, and Kurt’s hands went sort of everywhere on Rachel.

_All the broken hearts in the world still beat_   
_Let's not make it harder than it has to be_

They were only able to maintain their sexy line of pseudo-groping for one verse before the giggling started. But, being the performers that they were, they all managed to finish the last refrain before collapsing on the couch in peals of laughter.

_Ohh, it's all the same thing_   
_Girls chase boys chase girls chase boys chase girls_

“Oh my god Kurt, you totally groped me,” Rachel gasped from where she was sprawled.

Kurt nodded coyly. “I know, you’ve been waiting for that for years, m’dear, and I hope you enjoyed it because it will be the last time you get any such thing from me. You see,” he added with a melodramatic sigh and a hand to his forehead, “I am in a committed relationship with someone else.”

Tina snorted as Blaine waggled his eyebrows, Mike laughed, and Artie hollered the obligatory “get a room!”

“I think I’m having flashbacks to _Push It_ ,” Tina moaned to no one in particular, and another wave of laughter filled the room.

Blaine’s phone beeped then, and he pulled it from his pocket to glance at it before giggling.

Kurt gave him a questioning look.

“It’s Cooper,” Blaine whispered. “I guess he’s going to Sam and Mercedes’ place for dinner for some best man planning time.”

 _Oh._ Kurt mouthed. Then he smirked.

This time Blaine had the questioning look.

Kurt whispered in his ear “At least nobody from glee ever tried to date Cooper!”

–––––––––––––––––-

Mercedes and Sam’s apartment, Los Angeles, CA

–––––––––––––––––-

Sam paced from one end of the small apartment to the other for several minutes. He plopped down on the couch and sat there for exactly seven seconds before popping up again and resuming his pacing.

“Sam, come help me set the table,” Mercedes instructed with a smile. “I don’t know why you’re nervous about this, I mean, you’ve met him before.”

“Yeah, but that was different. Now we’re supposed to be co-best men at Blaine’s wedding.”

“I’m a best maid too,” she reminded him. “And I’m not pacing,” she added pointedly. “It’s just Blaine’s brother, and we’re just going to talk about our part in the wedding, and it’s going to be fine. He’s coming today because he is leaving tomorrow to go out of town for a month and we won’t really have another good chance to talk with him about this.”

“I just–”

Sam was interrupted by a loud knock on the door. Mercedes gave him one glance and went to the door herself. Sam ran his fingers through his hair as Cooper Anderson burst through the door, bypassed Mercedes without seeing her, and wrapped Sam in a hug.

“Sam!” he gushed enthusiastically.

“Cooper!” Sam echoed awkwardly. “Hi.”

“Oh my god,” Cooper whispered, shoving Sam aside as he turned and saw Mercedes shutting the door. “I adore you.”

“What?” she asked, caught off guard.

“Blaine gave me your album for Christmas,” Cooper explained, “your voice is amazing…” He grinned, not-so-discreetly looking her up and down as he did so.

Sam was behind her in an instant, wrapping his arms around her waist from behind and holding her hands in his to stake his claim. “Yes, she’s amazing, isn’t she,” he almost growled. “She’s also–”

“Dinner is ready,” Mercedes interrupted before the guys could turn things into some kind of macho contest. “Why don’t we all sit down and eat?”

–-

“First we need to talk about the actual wedding,” Cooper said as he dove into his dinner. I guess you two will probably walk down the aisle together, so I will be walking with…”

“Rachel,” Mercedes filled in. “Yes.”

“Who’s Rachel?”

“You met her before, when you visited Blaine at McKinley,” Mercedes reminded him. “You met all of us then.”

“I did?” Cooper looked back and forth between them. “Really? Because she’s, like, been on Broadway and everything, right? I think Blaine said...” He scratched his head as Mercedes nodded. “Crap, I’d think I would have remembered that…”

“You’d think,” Sam said flatly, not even trying to disguise his unimpressed look. “There were a whole bunch of us looking up to you and you hardly gave us the time of day.”

“Sam!” Mercedes hissed at him. “We were a bunch of high schoolers and he didn’t know any of us. Of course he doesn’t really remember us.”

“He remembered you!” Sam said pointedly.

“Yeah, from my album cover which came out last year,” she retorted. “Not from high school!” On the one hand Sam’s jealous possessiveness was adorable, but on the other hand it was making things awkward. “Down boy,” she whispered in an attempt to comfort him. “He’s not my type.”

“Tall, slender, dreamy eyes–” Sam started but Mercedes shoved him.

“No, old you dork! He’s like thirty!”

They both looked back at Cooper and realized that he had been so caught up in staring at his own fingernails that he hardly seemed to have notice their side conversation. He rubbed his hands together as he looked back up at them.

“So tell me about Rachel!” Cooper said, his eyes lighting up as he looked back and forth between them with anticipation.

“Well, she’s about yay tall,” Mercedes said, holding out her hand to demonstrate Rachel’s height. “She has dark hair and a voice that can fill an auditorium.”

“It’s not quite as nice as Mercedes’ voice,” Sam interjected loyally, “but it’s still really good.”

Cooper was nodding along. “Ok, that all sounds workable,” he said. “I just need to know one other thing about Rachel.”

“What’s that?” Mercedes asked.

“Is she single?!”

–-

As dinner progressed their conversation naturally turned to that most important task of groomsmen: planning the bachelor party.

“Well, it will be in New York, obviously,” Sam said, “since they live there.”

“Right,” Cooper agreed. “But will there be one or two?” he asked with a pointed glance at Mercedes.

“Wait, what?” she asked. “This is you guys’ thing, I’m not part of it.”

“Of course you’re a part of it,” Sam pointed out. “We’re supposed to throw Blaine’s party, but you have to throw Kurt’s!”

“Um,” Mercedes stalled. “I don’t think Bachelor parties are really Kurt’s thing…”

“They’re not Blainey’s either, which is why we HAVE to make it EPIC!” Cooper exclaimed.

“Are you guys sure this is a good idea?” Mercedes asked hesitantly. “I mean, they asked us to be their wedding attendants because they love us, but I wouldn’t put it past Kurt to kick you out of the wedding on the day-of if you insist on throwing some kind of booze-fest at a strip club. Does Kurt even drink?”

“Not much and not often,” Sam admitted. “But it can be fun without drinking.”

“There will be drinking,” Cooper corrected. “Some of us are definitely going to drink.” He hesitated a moment before adding, “Is Blainey still underage? I don’t remember.”

“Naw, he just had his birthday,” Sam assured him. “We’re all legal.”

“Oh good, I’d hate to get busted on _that,_ ” Cooper grinned. “If you’re going to get a party busted up, it should be because you’re dancing naked on the roof or something.”

“Riiiiiight,” Mercedes tried to bring things back on topic. “Well, so, we can throw them some nice classy bachelor parties. I know Rachel has started singing at a lounge, I wonder if they have private rooms that can be rented out…”

“I know this awesome store online,” Cooper loudly whispered to Sam, completely ignoring Mercedes’ comment. “They have penis _everything_. That’s what you’re supposed to do at a bachelorette party, so I’m figuring that’s what we’re supposed to do for gay bachelor parties, right?”

“Um, yes?” Sam replied. “Probably. I mean, I don’t know, I’ve never thrown one before. But sure…”

“Let me find it for you,” Cooper added enthusiastically, pulling out his phone and swiping across the screen a few times.

“I think they’d rather do karaoke,” Mercedes suggested, leaning back in her chair and crossing her arms. “Given a choice of which way to party with their friends, I think they’d always take singing over getting drunk and playing with _that_ stuff,” she gestured to Cooper’s phone, where he was scrolling along eagerly. “I mean, think about who we are talking about. Kurt is a hopeless romantic and Blaine is all old fashioned and dapper and–”

“I lived with them, Mercedes,” Sam corrected her. “I don’t think they’re going to be offended by penis stuff. None of us are in high school anymore.”

Mercedes shrugged. “How about you boys work on the party plans then, since you’re not interested in my ideas, and I will work on guest lists?”

“Yeah, that’s good,” Sam said with a grateful smile as he scooted his chair around to get a better view of the tiny screen that Cooper was holding out to him. “Oh!” he said when he finally saw it clearly. “Oh god! Whoa! That’s…”

“I know, right?” Cooper said proudly. “And they’re a better price if we order them by the dozen.”

“Oh my god,” Sam choked.

Mercedes rolled her eyes and went back to her lasagne.

–––––––––––––––––-

Lima, Ohio

–––––––––––––––––-

“Oh, Carole, look at you! You really are about to pop!” Millie Rose said affectionately as she bustled through the door of the Hudson-Hummel home. “I’m really sorry I’m so late; the other lunch lady was sick today so I had to handle all the cleanup myself and it just took a while.”

“It’s alright,” Sharon Jones smiled at her. “We hadn’t really started, we have just been talking anyway.”

“For over an hour?”

Carole blushed a little and giggled. “Apparently?”

“I thought I was going to miss everything except maybe cake!” Millie chuckled. “Lucky me you were all feeling so chatty!”

“We haven’t seen each other in a month,” Pam Anderson noted. “Even if our meetups were only monthly, we all used to see each other so often for rehearsals and performances…”

“And all the kids hung out together all the time anyway,” Maribel Lopez added.

Whitney Pierce snorted. “Like they didn’t have any other friends except each other.”

Pam nodded. “Exactly.”

Carole looked around the room at the assembled women. There were almost a dozen of them, from different age groups, socioeconomic situations, careers, ethnicities…most of these were women she would probably not have met, let alone become close, if not for the glee club. Her hand rose to her heart as she sent a silent thought of gratitude heavenward. _Thank you for helping bring me to all these people, Finn._

“Alright, enough with the chatter, we have games to play!” Aviva Puckerman announced. “I’ve known Carole for almost twenty years now and I can tell you that she likes an obnoxious game as much as the next gal, so long as nobody has to eat baby food or estimate each other’s weight. So let’s get to it, shall we?!”

A buzz of chatter filled the room as everyone began guessing games about what day the baby would be born, had races to see who could change a diaper on a doll the fastest, and tried to guess types of baby food by _sniffing_ the contents of the jar. (“Hey, you just said no tasting!” Aviva reminded Carole when she rolled her eyes about it.)

After a while they moved in to opening gifts, and everyone oohed and awed at all the little pink frilly things that Carole pulled from the boxes and bags.

“You all are spoiling me so much,” Carole mused. “I do really, really appreciate it though, since I’m having to start over from scratch on baby stuff!”

“I’ve never gotten to buy for a girl before,” Pam said with a grin. “It’s so much fun, and you’re the lucky beneficiary of it. Just enjoy it.”

Everyone grew quiet when Carole opened Millie’s gift: a hand crocheted blanket.

“I figure every baby should have a handmade blanket that belongs to just them,” she explained. “I know it’s kind of simple, but it’s made with love.”

“It’s beautiful,” Maribel breathed.

Amidst cake and laughter the group of women slowly began to gather their things.

“The last of our kids will be graduated in a couple of months,” Millie mused.

“It’s the end of an era, isn’t it,” Sharon agreed, throwing an arm around her friend’s shoulder.

“They are all going their separate ways, but I hope that we don’t.”

Carole stepped into the conversation. “I don’t plan to go anywhere. I’m staying right here, and I certainly hope that we will all keep having coffee and ice cream and going to see chick flicks even without our kids here anymore.”

“Gloms forever?” Nancy suggested.

Aviva laughed, long and loud. “Gloms forever!”

–––––––––––––––––-

The Blue, New York City

–––––––––––––––––-

The Blue was in a swanky upper-floor lounge with a view of the Hudson River. Not that anyone could see the water at this time of night. Peering out the window, Rachel’s friends could only make it out because it was a wide swath of blackness cutting through the city’s always-glittering lights.

“The river’s beautiful at night,” Shelby said. “I hardly ever get to see it. It was so nice of your friends Tina and Mike to offer to babysit so I could watch Rachel tonight.”

Artie turned to Shelby. “You realize that they’re probably making out on your couch as we speak, though, right? Not interested in each other, my ass!”

Shelby laughed. “Fine with me, as long as Beth’s happy and asleep.”

Blaine squeezed Kurt’s hand. “How is it we didn’t even think about getting married on the Hudson River? A pretty yacht decked out in fairy lights, no music but the sound of the waves lapping against the bough…” He trailed off with a dreamy sigh.

Kurt took a sip from his glass of dessert wine. “Except that we both get terrible sea sickness.”

“Ah, yes,” Blaine smiled. “I don’t suppose it would be very romantic for the grooms to be throwing up over the handrails at their own wedding.”

“That’s right,” Artie chimed in. “You’re supposed to get all your puking done at your bachelor parties.”

Kurt gave Artie a fixed glare. “What are you guys planning?”

Artie shrugged. “I have no idea. That’s all up to the best men and maids of honor. I just know it’s tradition to get wasted at bachelor parties, so that’s what I’m planning to do.”

“I don’t know if I want to drink much at my bachelor party, to be honest,” Blaine said. “I get kind of horny when I’m drunk, and if Kurt and I are having our parties separately then I’ll just be, like, turned on with no outlet.”

“I’m sure Artie would be willing to give you an outlet,” Kurt muttered as he pressed his wine glass against his lips for another sip, but Blaine didn’t hear him because, just then, the room broke out in polite applause as Rachel walked onto the lounge’s small stage.

Artie had heard Kurt, though. He gave him a strong poke under the table.

Rachel started out with her rendition of “[A Sleepin’ Bee](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJkb4xf5Zog),” a song that Barbra Streisand had used as her signature back in her own lounge-singing days. She began softly, lulling the audience into a state of dreaminess, before ramping up into an energetic vibrato that got their attention and moved them to the edge of their seats. The applause as the song closed was more than the polite patter customary at establishments like this. It was energetic and appreciative, and there was even a hoot of “Brava!” from a table in the far corner.

Rachel kept her composure, though she was clearly happy with the response. “I have some very special people I’d like to dedicate this next song to,” Rachel said, gesturing to her friends. “A castmate introduced me to it a few weeks ago. It’s about someone who went through some tough stuff and spent a lot of time feeling sorry for themselves, but finally realized they had to move on. It’s called ‘Goodbye to Sadness.’”

Her friends were surprised when Rachel [began singing](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VuwJ0Wd4SiY)  and the words that came out of her mouth weren’t English.

_Na minha vida tive palmas e fracassos_   
_Fui amargura feita notas e compassos_

None of them had ever heard her speak another language before.

“Is that French?” Artie whispered.

“I think it’s Spanish,” Blaine whispered back.

“You’re both wrong,” Kurt said. “Maybe Italian?”

Shelby rolled her eyes. “It’s Portuguese. Now shut up so I can hear my daughter sing.”

Rachel finished the first verse and repeated it in English.

_In my life I’ve had applause and defeat_   
_I was bitterness, playing notes and beats_   
_I was on stage, behind the scenes_   
_They promised the contract of my dreams_   
_The interview went great but it didn’t pan out_   
_And my future was full of doubt._

”Oh, poor Rachel,” Kurt whispered to Blaine. “This song really is about her.”

But the song didn’t stay sad. She took a deep breath and defiantly sang

_Adeus tristeza, até depois!_

_(Goodbye sadness, see you later!)_

Blaine pulled his handkerchief from his pocket and dabbed a proud tear from the corner of his eye, then passed it to Artie, who was covering his cheeks with his hands to hide the fact that he was crying.

“It’s ok for guys to cry,” Blaine whispered. “Especially when they hear their friends sing.”

“I know. But it fogs up my glasses.” Artie took the handkerchief and dabbed his cheeks with it, then wiped invisible condensation from the inside of his lenses.

_Não ando cá para sofrer mas para viver._   
_E o meu futuro há de ser o que eu quiser._

_(I’m not here to suffer, but to thrive._   
_And my future is mine. I will rise.)_

As Rachel sang the last note, her friends weren’t the only ones to rise out of their chairs with applause.

–––––––––––––––––

Los Angeles, CA

–––––––––––––––––-

“This is fun,” Brittany announced, breathless, as she and Sam got off the carousel. “I don’t know why we haven’t done this before.”

“Well I’ve only lived here for like a month,” Sam pointed out.

“I know, but we both work from home and have flexible schedules, and we both have girlfriends who are gone a lot.”

“Yeah,” Sam agreed, nudging her elbow and directing her to an ice cream stand. “In Ohio it would never be warm enough for ice cream in March.”

“Los Angeles is awesome like that,” Brittany agreed. “Birthday cake flavor please,” she instructed the employee in the stand, fishing in her bag for some money.

“And triple chocolate,” Sam added. “I’ve got this one,” he told Brittany, pulling her out of the way and reaching his longer arm past hers so he could pay for both of them.

Brittany shrugged and shoved the money back in her bag. “It’s not like I can’t afford it Sam,” she said lightly. “And you did pay for lunch.”

“But you paid for the carousel rides, all three of them, so it’s definitely my turn again,” Sam argued with a grin as he accepted the two ice cream cones and handed one to Brittany. “Blue ice cream makes me a little nervous,” he added, pointing to her cone as she started licking it enthusiastically.

“It’s birthday cake,” she reminded him. “So basically it’s the perfect flavor because it’s happiness and sprinkles and kisses and candles all wrapped up in one ice cream cone.”

“Hmmm,” Sam said, unconvinced.

“And you got boring old chocolate,” she teased.

“Hey, triple chocolate isn’t boring! It has milk chocolate and white chocolate and a fudge ribbon!”

“I don’t like white chocolate.”

Sam feigned a hurt look. “I think I’m offended,” he announced playfully.

Brittany rolled her eyes at him. “Oh come on, you haven’t been White Chocolate in years. You’re a comic strip artist now.”

“True,” he agreed. “But that doesn’t mean I’ve forgotten my past.”

“Even stuff you want to forget?”

“I don’t know if there’s anything I want to forget, Brittany,” he admitted.

“Oh of course you do. Nobody wants to remember bad stuff.”

“Well, the thing about bad stuff is that it helps you appreciate the good stuff more.”

“Mmmmmm,” Brittany murmured, focusing on her ice cream for a few minutes. “I guess you’re right, in those moments when I experienced the most fear, or the most pain, that’s when my friends were there to help me and support me. Like when you got the whole glee club together to sing to Lord Tubbington for me, or that time when I was afraid that the world was going to end--”

“And I fake married you?”

She clamped a hand over his mouth, apparently scandalized even as she giggled. “Nuh-uh, we both have girlfriends!” she squeaked.

Sam laughed loud and hard. “They both know about it, it’s not like anybody ever hid anything you know.”

“I know,” she shrugged. “I guess I am just living in the present, you know?”

He nodded. “Your present is pretty good. I mean you’ve got Santana, and _Fondue for Two_ is really taking off…” he trailed off for a moment, clearly lost in thought. “Hey Britt, can I do a _Fondue for Two_ interview with you? About #Accidental Heroes? The Lima Herald picked it up and they’ve been running it for a few months now, and of course I still do it online, but I bet you could help me get more publicity, and maybe I could get it going in some bigger papers too.” He hesitated for a moment before adding softly “I’m thinking about trying to get it published in a book.”

“I’d love to interview you, Sam, that’s a great idea!” she gushed. “Oooh, speaking of great ideas…” she pointed to a poster tacked up on a nearby, “we should bring Tana and Cedes to that!”

“What is it?” He peered at the small print. “CultureFest.” He scratched his head and looked at her. “What even is that?”

“I don’t know,” she said gleefully with a toss of her hair. “But look,” she pointed to the poster. “It says ‘food, live music, crafts, and fun!’ We already agreed that we should hang out more, and that is on a weekend so we could bring our girlfriends and all go together.”

Sam pursed his lips and thought about it for a minute. “Ok, sure, that sounds fun!”

–––––––––––––––––-

Unique’s House, Lima, Ohio

–––––––––––––––––-

Unique and Marley finished their makeup earlier than expected. That was good in one way, because it meant they’d be ready when the other Vibratos came by to pick them up for tonight’s Sadie Hawkins dance. (Sugar had insisted on renting a limo for the six of them. They’d decided not to pair off this year, but go as a family. Less drama that way, and a lot more fun.)

But it was bad because that meant Unique had time to fret. As the chair of the dance, Unique had been in high gear for weeks. She’d barely had time to breathe, much less _think_. And now, after two days straight of decorating the gym and putting the finishing touches on hers and Marley’s dresses, and just generally making herself and everything around her beautiful, Unique had space to think.

And all the thoughts that came to her mind were worried ones.

Within 15 minutes, Unique was so nervous, Marley was worried she’d jangle right out of her tiara. “What if everything goes wrong tonight? What if no one shows up? Or what if _everyone_ shows up holding a big slushie with my name on it? What if they do to me like they did Tina at her senior prom, or Kurt before we were at McKinley?”

Marley patted her friend on both shoulders. “McKinley’s not like that anymore. Principal Sylvester’s not my favorite person, but she’s not screwing around with the anti-bullying policy. I heard she even turned herself in for an infraction a few weeks ago.”

“What?!” Unique was so taken by this new piece of gossip that she forgot to be worried for a moment. “Who told you that? And how long have you known without telling me? Unique is the gossip queen of McKinley High!”

Marley laughed. “Becky’s home for spring break. I ran into her at the Lima Bean yesterday. She hinted she had some dirt on Sue, so we went over to the Mercado de Lima and I bribed her with some of those Mexican Twinkies she likes – because you’re my friend, and if there’s gossip to be had, I want you to know about it.”

“Oh, _Marley._ ” Unique pressed her hand to her heart, so overcome she looked like she could cry. “That’s the sweetest thing anyone’s ever done for me.”

Marley grinned. “Anyway, I guess Principal Sylvester was getting in some kid’s face for being chubby and they called her out on it. Cited her own anti-bullying policy back at her. And instead of doing what you’d think she would –”

“Like trip the kid and blame it on their shoelaces?”

“Yeah. Instead of doing that, she filed a report on herself and held a disciplinary council and everything.”

“Who was in charge of the disciplinary council?”

“The same person who’s always in charge of disciplinary councils. Principal Sylvester.”

Unique rolled her eyes. “So she let herself off lightly, I bet.”

“No-oooo.” Marley shook her head with wide-eyed vehemence. “She really threw the book at herself. Did you hear about that new body-acceptance club that’s starting up?”

Unique scrunched her face, confused. “You mean the one they’re having a pep rally for next week?”

“Yeah. Principal Sylvester’s behind that. Paying for it with her own money since there’s nothing left in the budget for clubs. She’s got some national speakers coming in, and a licensed therapist. And you’ll never guess what else!”

“What?”

“Other than paying for it, she’s not going to be involved in it at all. Because the disciplinary council pointed out to her that students might view her presence as intimidating.”

“You mean, _she_ pointed that out to _herself_?”

Marley’s eyebrows twisted together. She hadn’t thought about it like that, but yeah – apparently that’s exactly what happened. “Oh, and I almost forgot the best part!”

“How can it possibly get any better?”

“Well, have you noticed how all the slushie machines at school have broken down over the past month?”

“Yeah,” Unique said in disappointment. “I’ve been missing my blue raspberry freezes. I figured it was part of Principal Sylvester’s campaign to put us all on a diet.”

Marley shook her head. “No. They’re not broken. They’re just empty. She doesn’t want students to be able to throw slushies at each other anymore.”

“No one has in the past year,” Unique said. “They’re all too afraid of her.”

Marley stopped and gave Unique a gentle look. “Then why do you think you’re going to get slushied at the dance tonight?”

Unique collapsed on the bed. “I don’t know. Everything just seems so _perfect_ now. Easy. Getting chosen as the Sadie Hawkins chair this year – that position only goes to girls, and a year ago people were refusing to recognize that I _am_ one. I just worry that maybe I’m getting set up for disappointment, you know? That this is all too good to be true.”

“Oh, honey.” Marley sank down on the bed and wrapped her arms around Unique. “I really do believe things are better now. But I promise I’ll be there for you no matter what happens. We’re in this together. ok?”

“Ok.”

–––––––––––––––––-

New York City

–––––––––––––––––-

As the sun faintly lowered her eyes, her honey-colored rays fell across Kurt’s legs in the steadily dimming room of the loft. His knees supported his laptop as he typed slowly at first then picked up speed as a thought bloomed in his head. Glancing right across the room, Blaine was pacing, muttering under his breath to the voice recording app on his phone.

A smooth jazz Spotify playlist softened the ambiance of the lovers writing their wedding vows.

“A paper and pen for your thoughts, dear?” Kurt said aloud. Blaine shook his head.

“Nah. It’s the same way I write music. I think of what sounds rhythmic before writing it down,” he said. Kurt shrugged, smiled, and went back to wondering on how many times he could reword _my missing puzzle piece_.

He sighed. “This is harder than I thought.”

Blaine replied, “I know. There are so many things I want to say and you’ll probably kill me if I came with a fifteen-minute monologue on how much I love you. Seven minutes are for your eyes alone.”

“Then you better speak fast.” A mental image popped into Kurt’s head that made him burst out laughing. “Oh my god, what if you rapped your vows?!”

Blaine lit up and grinned. He then crossed his arms and rocked his upper body from side to side, taking on the role of a boy from the streets.

_“Uh, uh, hey yo check this out. Lil’ B is gettin’ hitched, aight? Kurty’s got me hard and we gon’ do it all night–”_

From underneath his hands, Kurt was violently shaking in laughter. As Blaine was ass slapping to go with his rap, Kurt yelled, “Blaine Anderson, I am going to ban you from _Empire_ season two if you rap your wedding vows!”

“I don’t think we’re inviting anyone that’s going to complain about my rapping skills,” Blaine stated smugly. “Which are, if I have to say so myself, dope!”

Kurt breathed out one last hearty guffaw and snapped his laptop shut. “Well that ruined my wishes of getting this done.”

Blaine shut his phone, put it aside, and shoved his hands inside his pocket. “Anything I can help you with?” he said.

“Then how am I going to keep this a surprise from you?” Kurt frowned.

“By giving you a bit of inspiration.” Blaine crossed the room and took the chair next to Kurt’s. “While I was drafting mine, I was trying to think of the words I want to be saying fifty or seventy years from now while we’re both in our hover rocking chairs.” Kurt giggled and faintly smiled at the thought of years ahead of them.

“Way to put on the pressure,” Kurt joked. As they shared a laugh, Kurt took Blaine’s hand for comfort. “You know, I thought about looking at other languages because the things I want to say mean so much more that saying it in English. Now unfortunately, I don’t have the time to review my French for our vows.”

“You could be reciting the lyrics to ‘Lady Marmalade’ and I would swoon at the altar,” Blaine said, grinning. Kurt playfully pinched his fiancé in the arm.

“That being said, I may or may not attempt to seduce you during our wedding,” Kurt stated simply.

“That will be the most uncomfortable wedding of all time for everyone,” Blaine giggled.

Kurt was about to say something when an idea popped into his head. “Oh! What if I sang my vows? I did learn a French song as practice.”

“What song was it?”

“La Vie En Rose. It’s a classic.”

“Could you sing it now?”

Kurt sunk into deep thought. Could he? “You’ll… have to forgive me. I haven’t sung, or heard, that song in years.” An idea came to him. He reopened his laptop and searched for the song on Spotify.

“Oh, Edith,” Kurt murmured fondly before [clicking play](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0feNVUwQA8U).

_Quand il me prend dans ses bras (When he takes me in his arms)_   
_Il me parle tout bas (He speaks to me in a low voice)_   
_Je vois la vie en rose (I see life in rosy hues)_

_Il me dit des mots d’amour (He whispers words to declare to me his love)_   
_Des mots des tous les jours (Words of everyday)_   
_Et ca me fait quelque chose (And that does something to me)_

It took a while before Kurt managed to adjust his voice to the accent. Blaine’s ears fell in love at the combination of the song’s aged quality and the smooth and rich flow of Kurt’s singing. He was in a trance.

_Il est entre dans mon coeur (He has entered into my heart)_   
_Une part de bonheur (A piece of happiness)_   
_Dont je connais la cause (the cause of which I know full well)_

Out of curiosity, before Kurt finished the song, Blaine tapped into his phone for the translation. Upon reading, a soft smile blossomed.

_C’est lui pour moi, moi pour lui dans la vie (It’s me for him, him for me in life)_   
_Il me l’a dit, l’a jure pour la vie (He said it to me, and swore it for life)_

An indescribable veil fell over Blaine. Listening to La Vie En Rose playing made him feel so very out of place in his own time. He could see himself in his sixties; the house is quiet, their kids have just left with their own, and he is slow dancing with Kurt in their living room to this song. How beautiful would that song be by then, timeless in its beauty and crooning on a modern device.

“So what do you think?” Kurt smiled, snapping Blaine out his trance.

“I…” A thought dawned on him. He slowly placed his hand over Kurt’s and squeezed it, taking time to piece his thoughts. On one side, his vows were beginning to take shape. On the other, he knew how he wanted to surprise Kurt on their last anniversary before they get married.

Blaine kissed the back of Kurt’s hand. “If that song did anything, I am now definitely sure that I want to grow old with you.”

Kurt grinned. “Promise you’d still love me in my grayest, wrinkliest self?” he teased, his head swaying with sass.

“Maybe I just have my rose-colored glasses on… but yes. Absolutely,” Blaine said. “Vows aside, let’s talk about what to do on our anniversary…”

–––––––––––––––––-

Los Angeles, CA

–––––––––––––––––-

“Ok, you were right, this was kind of a great idea,” Santana admitted before stuffing another piece of funnel cake into her mouth.

“I need to learn to take breaks,” Mercedes agreed, squeezing Sam’s hand. “Thank you for dragging us out here.”

“I didn’t drag anyone,” Brittany said with a flip of her hair, “Sam and I just saw the poster and we thought it would be a great double date.” She smiled at him conspiratorially.

“I’m glad you’re enjoying it,” Sam grinned, wiping his finger along Mercedes’ chin to get a drop of ice cream that was melting there. “Once we moved in together it’s like we forgot to keep going on dates.”

“Hear hear!” Santana added as she shoved in the last bite of funnel cake and started daintily licking her fingers.

“What should we do next–?” Mercedes started to ask, but she was interrupted by Brittany holding out her hands and loudly shushing everyone.

They all looked at her intently, silently asking what was going on.

“Yes!” she nearly screamed, grabbing Santana’s hand. “C’mon!” She took off at a full run, her tote bag banging against her hip and Santana flapping along behind her like an untethered trailer.

Mercedes raised her eyebrows at Sam. “I guess we’re running now,” she shrugged, reached down to take off her high-heeled shoes, and then clasped his hand as they took off in pursuit of their friends.

When they caught up (Mercedes less-winded than Sam had thought she would be, and Sam more-winded than he wanted to admit) they saw–and heard–what Brittany had been so excited about. There was a large open air stage where someone was playing music, and in front of it a wide grassy area where people were scattered about, some sitting on blankets, others dancing along with the songs. Someone had just started a [familiar catchy tune with an irresistible beat](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8Rwz6zBJSE). Brittany threw her hands in the air and began a slow rotating gyration.

“Oh, I know this one!” Santana murmured, raising her hands and twisting them this way and that as she started a shimmy of her own. Soon she was singing along with the performers.

_Suerte que en el sur hayas nacido y que burlemos las distancias_   
_suerte que es haberte conocido y por ti amar tierras extrañas_

_(Lucky you were born that far away so we could both make fun of distance_   
_Lucky that I love a foreign land for the lucky fact of your existence)_

Santana’s eyes were closed as she threw her head back and writhed with the music. Brittany’s contagious grin filled her face as she moved her hips one direction and her torso the other at increasing speeds. Suddenly her eyes blew wide and she flew to where she had dropped her tote bag haphazardly on the ground. She reached into it, and with a few moments of clinking and jingling she proudly pulled out some brightly colored scarves with metallic charms. “I couldn’t resist these at that little booth back there,” she explained, gesturing vaguely off in the direction they’d come from. “I knew they’d come in handy!” With that she tossed one to Santana and one to Mercedes while tying the third around her own waist and oh, they were belly dancing scarves covered with dangling, jangling coins. “Shake it ladies!” she hollered with a noisy shimmy as she went back to her dancing. Santana slithered into her scarf without missing a beat as her rich voice continued the song.

_Contigo, mi vida quiero vivir la vida_   
_y lo que me queda de vida quiero vivir contigo_

_(Whenever, wherever we're meant to be together_   
_I'll be there and you'll be near, and that's the deal my dear)_

Mercedes blushed a little but decided she might as well join in, so she wrapped hers around her waist and went for it. She didn’t know the song well, but she’d heard the English version a few times, and she could fake it through parts of the chorus. She dropped her shoes in a little heap with her purse and joined in singing along in the parts where she could, trying to forget her inhibitions and just let the music lead her movements.

_Le ro lo le lo le le ro lo le lo le_   
_Sabes que estoy a tus pies_

_(Le ro lo le lo le, Le ro lo le lo le_   
_Can't you see I'm at your feet)_

Santana and Brittany had moved in close to one another now, their hands sliding up and down one another’s arms and bodies as they turned and stepped with the rhythm. Santana still hadn’t opened her eyes, but she was all smiles and Brittany hadn’t stopped grinning the entire time.

Mercedes was just starting to really enjoy herself when she felt Sam sidle up behind her. He started doing his signature White Chocolate body rolls and she smiled and went with it, rolling her body along with his. His breath was hot on her neck and in her ear, his sweat mixing with hers where their bodies touched, and the whole thing was so sensual and sultry that she almost… Wow. She was definitely starting to understand why Kurt always liked going out dancing with Blaine. How had she never figured this out before?!

_Ya sabes mi vida estoy hasta el cuello por ti_   
_Si sientes algo asi quiero que te quedes junto a mi._

_(Thereover, hereunder, you've got me head over heels_   
_There's nothing left to fear if you really feel the way I feel)_

–-

At the end of the day the two couples left the festival, embracing affectionately and promising to do it again soon. Then they parted and each went to their own homes, all exhausted, but also all so happy.

–––––––––––––––––-

In the Middle of Nowhere, Texas

–––––––––––––––––-

Puck and Lauren stood at the edge of the bridge. Lauren patted him on the back. “You ready to jump, Puckerman?”

Puck tugged at the harness to make sure none of the buckles had come loose since the last time he’d tugged it – just 10 seconds before. He looked down at the gulch below. It looked about a million miles beneath them. “What if the cord breaks?” he whispered. Nielsen and the other jumpers were standing back far enough that he didn’t have to worry about them overhearing.

“I’m a certified bungee coach,” Lauren said. “And you went over the protocols with your Air Force unit’s safety technician, didn’t you? I’m also pretty sure you checked the cords a dozen times.”

“I guess,” Puck said. “It just all of a sudden seems kind of stupid to jump off a bridge without a good reason.”

“You’re eventually going to have to learn how to jump out of airplanes. That’s a good reason, isn’t it?”

Puck took a deep breath. “Seriously, the only reason I’m not backing out is because all those guys from my unit are standing right over there.”

“And ladies,” Lauren said.

“God, they’re the worst. They would _never_ let me hear the end of it. Especially Turnipseed. She’s vicious. Meaner than I was in high school.”

Lauren smiled. Puck was adorable when he was nervous. “C’mon.” She reached out and squeezed his hand. “I’m right here with you. And if Turnipseed gives you any guff for squealing like a stuck pig on the way down, I’ll beat the crap out of her.”

Puck looked down at their joined hands. The jangling nerves slowed, turning to soft little flutters in his stomach that were entirely unrelated to the fact that he was about to jump off a bridge. Suddenly, the idea of that didn’t seem so frightening. Not if Lauren had his back.

“Ok,” he said. “I’m ready.”

He didn’t squeal like a stuck pig on the way down. He was too busy enjoying the sensation of flying. His body felt as light as a feather.

His heart did, too.

–––––––––––––––––-

Los Angeles, CA

–––––––––––––––––-

**Brittany to Kurt: Guess what**

**Kurt to Brittany: What?**

**Brittany: We had an awesome idea**

**Kurt: …**

**Brittany: You know how you guys did those potluck dinners there in New York?**

**Kurt: We still do them Britt**

**Brittany: We are going to do them here too!**

**Kurt: That IS awesome!**

**Brittany: Why do my letters turn capital after I type them?**

**Brittany: The phone keeps changing my letters and my words**

**Kurt: Because they are trying to make phones smarter than people**

**Brittany: That’s innuendo**

**Kurt: What?**

**Brittany: Instagram**

**Kurt: ?????**

**Brittany: That’s insomnia**

**Brittany: STUPID PHONE**

**Brittany: That’s insulting**

**Brittany: That they think people are too dumb to type what they mean**

**Kurt: Oh**

**Kurt: Yes it is**

**Kurt: The other day I sent Blaine a message about putting our electric bill on autopay, and the message he got said I had billed an autopsy**

**Brittany: NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!**

**Kurt: YES!**

**Brittany: Wow**

**Kurt: I know**

**Brittany: I miss you.**

**Brittany: I mean I love Santana, and I’m glad I live with her, and Sam and Mercedes are great too**

**Brittany: but they’re not unicorns like you**

**Kurt: I miss you too**

**Kurt: You’re coming to the wedding, right?**

**Brittany: Of course!!!!!!!**

–––––––––––––––––-

McKinley High School Gymnasium, Lima, Ohio

–––––––––––––––––-

Music pounded out of the loudspeakers as the Vibratos walked in. The budget for the Sadie Hawkins had been close to nil, but Unique had convinced the Vibratos to do a little performance and sweet-talked some kids from the AV Club as DJs for the rest of the dance, and they were happy to do it for the experience. “Disco is a must,” she’d told the DJs. “No Donna Summer, no references!”

Right now, it was [ABBA’s “Waterloo”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n41t6x2KIpk) in their native Swedish. Sugar grabbed Unique and started to spin her around the floor – it turned out that Sugar knew all the words by heart. When the song ended and Unique asked her about it, Sugar shrugged a shoulder and twisted a lock of her hair around her index finger. “It’s my Asperger’s. I specialize in esoteric knowledge. So I know #all of ABBA’s songs, but only in Swedish. Oh, and two in Spanish.”

It was the first time Unique had heard Sugar cite Asperger’s for anything unrelated to being rude. Huh. They were all growing up, weren’t they? “Since when do you speak Spanish? I thought you took French.”

“I don’t really speak Spanish. I sing it. French is the only language worth speaking. _J’aime le langue de l’amour!_ ” Sugar squeaked out in the worst French accent Unique had ever heard.

“You’re something else!” Unique said, and squeezed her hand.

Meanwhile, Jake and Kitty headed over to the stage to make sure everything was still there from when they’d set up earlier in the afternoon. It was – and so was janitor Figgins, who was kneeling on the floor behind the drumset, whistling along with the ABBA as he scraped a piece of gum off the wall.

He looked up when he saw them coming. “Hello young gentlemen!” he said with a cheerful smile. Neither Jake nor Kitty could remember seeing Figgins smile once since he’d been demoted to janitor.

“You seem awfully happy for someone who’s scraping gum off the wall,” Jake said.

“Ahh, a very observant young man you are, Jacob Puckerman!” Figgins waggled a finger at Jake but didn’t stand up. “I have always thought you Hebrews were smarter than the most people. Well, except for your older brother. There’s an exception to every rule.”

Jake wasn’t sure whether to scold Figgins for his ethnic stereotyping or insulting Noah first, but he ended up doing neither, because Kitty touched her hand to his shoulder in a way that clearly meant, _Don’t let him ruin a perfectly good night._

“You see,” Figgins said, “my pastor pointed out to be that I had the wrong attitude about this job. ‘Figgins,’ he said, ‘you forget that your Lord and Savior Jesus Christ thought it was an honor to wash people’s stinky feet. If the Son of God can clean up after people and not feel ashamed, you can do it too!’” He beamed as bright as a rainbow. (Or maybe that was just the multicolored lights bleeding over from the dance floor.)

Jake stared at Figgins in a stupor of surprise, but Kitty was on her toes as always. “Good for you!” She grinned and held out a hand so Figgins to give her a high five. “That’s my kind of Jesus!”

“I will never understand you young people’s obsession with the so-called high five,” Figgins said, but gave her one anyway.

“Huh,” Jake said as he and Kitty walked back toward their other friends. “So _that’s_ your kind of Jesus? You’re not still into the one that beams fire out of his eyes and annihilates two-thirds of the Jews to save the other third?” He nudged her shoulder affectionately.

“I am totally _over_ that Jesus.” Kitty laughed. “I guess becoming friends with a bunch of people you thought were going to hell changes a girl.”

Jake raised his eyebrows. “So I’m not going to hell? Kitty, that’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me.”

“Yeah, well don’t expect me to make it a habit,” she said with a mischievous glint in her eye. “You all have made me a better person, but I’m not sure I’m ready to be _that_ good.”

Just as they got back to where Unique and Sugar were cutting a rug, Jake and Marley approached from the other side, each balancing three red Solo cups of punch in their hands.

“It’s time for a toast!” Marley shouted, and she and Ryder started passing out cups as the next song began – [something loud, not in English, and definitely not disco](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZlOs_wNOaY).

Unique spun toward the DJ table and made as if she was about to stomp over to it. “This is _nothing like_ Donna Summer!”

Ryder reached out and stopped her with a hand to her forearm. “Elton John’s not disco either, but he still rocks. Give the song a chance before you decide you don’t like it. Sometimes the things you think you’re not gonna like become your favorite things in the whole world.”

Unique turned to him, a curious eyebrow raised. “You think so?”

“I know so,” he said with a wink. “I learned that in glee club.”

“Hmmm,” she said, tilting an ear toward the speakers. “Maybe you’re right. This song isn’t awful. Maybe it’s even got a catchy riff.”

“I told you so,” said Ryder. “Now let’s do our toast.”

“What are we toasting to?” Sugar said. “Not that it matters. I always love me some sugar!”

“I want to make a toast to the five best Sadie Hawkins dates ever,” Marley said. “Each of you has had such an important impact on my life. I love you guys with all my heart.”

“Awww!” Sugar squealed, raising her cup. “I love you, too, Marley!” She looked around at the other four. “And you all, as well. Even if I’m mean to you sometimes, which I can’t help, because –”

“Asperger’s,” her five friends chimed in.

Unique laughed to herself. Sugar was learning to display her good qualities more often, but sometimes her old, bad habits slipped out. It happened with all of them. But together, they were all learning to do better – to be kinder, to trust each other more, and to let their true, best selves shine.

“To the Vibratos!” Jake shouted. The six friends clinked their plastic cups together and drank.

 

–––––––––––––––––-

In the Middle of Nowhere, Texas

–––––––––––––––––-

Lauren drove her 1995 Ford Mustang down the long highway, past limestone cliffs and flat rocky fields full of sand and sagebrush. It was usually a pretty smooth ride on this highway, but just now the car was shaking so hard you’d think the shocks had fallen out.

They hadn’t. It was Puck who was causing all the commotion, bouncing in his seat and singing “[Life is a highway, I’m gonna ride it](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3sMjm9Eloo) …” at the top of his lungs.

“That’s the worst song in the world.” Lauren checked the rearview mirror to make sure that wasn’t an armadillo she’d just run over. Nope, just a piece of old tire.

“It’s the best song in the world!” Puck’s bouncing grew more vehement as he launched into the next line:

_If you’re going my way, I’m gonna ride it all night long._

Puck screwed up his face with such emotion, he looked like someone who’d been constipated and was finally about to push one out. Lauren stifled a laugh. Puck noticed. “What?”

“Nothing,” she said.

“Nah, c’mon, tell me. You’ve been quiet this whole way back from bungee jumping. I don’t get it. I’m high as a freakin’ kite from that jump, but you’re all –” He looked at her, curled one edge of his lips into a half-smile. Kind of like Elvis, but sexier. “Stoic. But I guess you always have been more stoic than me. You’d make a good Marine, you know?”

Lauren didn’t respond immediately. She’d thought about joining up if wrestling didn’t work out, but now – it was getting harder and harder to imagine every day: Puck stationed in one place, her in another, only being able to keep in touch through text messages and letters. She was getting used to him being around. Her life had already seemed pretty good before that night he showed his face at the Singin’ Alamo, but now it was somehow better.

Besides, she didn’t want to give up on wrestling, even if her earnings potential ended up topping out at $50 a match. Her parents had sued the Lima school district so she could follow her passion, and she wasn’t going to squander this opportunity after giving it a real shot for only a couple of years. Hulk Hogan was 26 before he got into the World Wrestling Federation, and 30 before he went up against the Iron Sheik and won the world championship. She had plenty of time.

She glanced over at Puck. He was just looking at her, patient as an angel as he waited for an answer. Looked like whatever she had to say would be more than worth the wait. “I might make a good Marine, but I make an even better wrestler.”

“Better than The Rock,” Puck said. “I hope you go as far as he has. Further. I’m still waiting for the day I can go up to the perfume counter at Macy’s and buy me a bottle of Zizes.”

Lauren chuckled at the memory of standing next to her locker at McKinley, telling Puck her full business plan for becoming as famous and rich as a Kardashian. “You remember that?”

“Of course I do.” Puck reached out and put a hand on her knee. Unlike the previous times he’d done that since rekindling their friendship, she didn’t slap it away.

–––––––––––––––––-

New York City

–––––––––––––––––-

“Where are we going Blaine!?” Kurt asked breathlessly as his fiancé dragged him down the sidewalk at an increasingly faster pace. “I thought this was supposed to be a relaxing day off, but you are like a man on a mission here!”

“I have a little surprise for you,” Blaine said, unable to contain his excitement.

“What is it?” Kurt asked automatically.

“I’m not telling, it’s an anniversary surprise!” Blaine repeated with a smirk. “Just c’mon!”

Two blocks later they stopped in front of the New York city library. There on the sidewalk, between the Lions, stood a small upright piano that had been painted a sort of...periwinkle? It was covered with lettering that said “play me, I’m yours.” Blaine dropped Kurt’s hand with a grin and eagerly slid onto the bench.

“Um, Blaine, we have a piano at home,” Kurt pointed out.

“Yeah, but it’s not a public piano,” Blaine countered.

“There are other pianos like this in Brooklyn. There’s even one in Bushwick, just a few blocks from where we live.”

“None of those ones are purple. I checked.”

Kurt raised an eyebrow. “Purple?”

“Well,” Blaine admitted, his fingers starting to ghost over the keys, “it’s not really purple, but it’s sort of purple, and it’s the closest I could find. I looked for one decorated with The Beatles but there wasn’t one.”

“You looked for one decorated with The Beatles…?” Kurt echoed softly with wrinkled brows. He knew what was happening here–the ingredients were all in place and it had happened often enough that Kurt could see it coming: Blaine was about to serenade him. While massive public displays of affection had made Kurt feel awkward in the early days, he had to admit that now he kind of loved them. Their public duet to each other when they sang _Got to Get You Into My Life_ had helped him realize how amazing it felt to show the whole world how much he cared about this man in front of him. Blaine’s serenades still made him blush with the unexpected attention sometimes, but it was worth it. Besides, it was their anniversary so he had sort of expected something like this. But now what was this about The Beatles?

Oh!

“I guess they have been there for us at a lot of big moments, huh,” Kurt realized.

Blaine glanced up at him and grinned.

“When we got together, when we got engaged…”

“I realized I was in love with you to a Beatles song,” Blaine said quietly, his fingers dancing back and forth across the keys in [a tuneless yet pleasant melody](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dPXQXUg8YmE).

“Well I fell in love with you to Katy Perry,” Kurt said wryly, “but I’d take The Beatles over her any day.”

Blaine laughed. “I’m going to sing now, ok?”

“Ok.”

“I’ve been working on learning this for over a month,” he added with a surprising bashfulness. “I hope you like it.”

_I want to sing in every language for you baby_   
_And play on every instrument to say these words to you_   
_Believe me, it is true, I love you._

Awwww, it was a cheesy love song. Not that Kurt had expected anything different, still, it was sweet. Kurt didn’t recognize it, but that made it all the sweeter since he knew that meant that Blaine had gone out of his way to learn something unique.

Then his heart skipped a beat as Blaine started into the next verse...

_Je veux chanter pour toi en toutes les langues,_   
_jouer pour toi de tous les instruments_   
_disant: mon amour, je t'aime_

“You’re singing to me in French,” Kurt whispered. “It’s like the most romantic language of all, and you learned a love song in French so you could sing it to me on our anniversary…”

Just when Kurt thought this song could not get any more amazing, Blaine winked at him and started the next verse in German.

_Ich will's in allen Sprachen für dich singen,_   
_auf allen Instrumenten zum Erklingen bringen:_   
_ich liebe dich_

Kurt’s eyes nearly popped out of his head. He didn’t know German. Not a word in fact. Neither did Blaine (well, until now apparently!) But he knew his great great grandfather or somebody had emigrated from Germany, and it was touching that Blaine would think to connect to him and his family through music this way.

_And no matter where you are, from the moment that we meet_   
_I’m gonna learn for you, love, the language that you speak_

Blaine looked at him through his eyelashes and Kurt bit his lip. God, he really was engaged to the most perfect man on earth. In a few weeks (WEEKS!) he was going to marry the most perfect man on earth. How did he ever get so lucky?

When Blaine sang in Italian Kurt had to sit down. When he sang in Spanish Kurt forgot what air was. When he sang in...whatever came next, well, Kurt just let the tears go. There were people watching, but he didn’t care. A beautiful, brilliant, amazing man was singing to _him,_ and Kurt loved that man and he was going to _marry_ that man and he didn’t care if the whole jealous world saw the way they loved each other. Nobody would ever touch them, or what they had.

“Blaine!” Kurt whispered when his fiancé rose from the piano bench to embrace him at the end of the song. “That was amazing.”

“So are you.”

“No, I mean really,” Kurt pulled back a little so he could look into those bright hazel eyes. “It was perfect.”

“So are you,” Blaine repeated with a smile that filled his face and glowed from his eyes. “So, did you like it?”

“I loved it!”

“I love you!”

“I love you too,” Kurt replied. And without even glancing around to see who was watching–because he really couldn’t have cared less–he pressed his face into Blaine’s and kissed him as hard as he could.

–––––––––––––––––-

McKinley High School Gymnasium, Lima, Ohio

–––––––––––––––––-

The Sadie Hawkins dance was coming to a close. The whole night had been wonderful. Each of the Vibratos had danced with all the other Vibratos (ok, except for Ryder and Jake, because even if they loved each other like brothers they were still products of their society and felt too self-conscious to dance together in public), as well with a few new friends and possible love interests. Girls had cooed over the dresses that Unique had made for herself and Marley, and Unique had gotten love-addled looks from several hormonal teenage boys. But she’d only asked a couple of them to dance, because this night was mostly about being with her five best friends.

And now the Vibratos were on the stage, performing the last song of the night – which was not disco at all, but rather [an old Andrews Sisters song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xe2UXccid40) that showed off the girls’ voices to best advantage while the boys played drums and guitar with help from the school jazz band.

_Bei mir bist du schön – please let me explain._   
_Bei mir bist du schön means you're grand._

It was meant to be a love song, but these particular lyrics captured the affection the friends felt for each other.

_Bei mir bist du schön, again I'll explain_   
_It means you're the fairest in the land…_

–––––––––––––––––-

In the Middle of Nowhere, Texas

–––––––––––––––––-

_'Bei mir bist du schön,' it's such an old refrain_   
_And yet I should explain, it means I am begging for your hand._

Lauren pulled off the highway into a Sonic Drive-In. The sun was low on the horizon. Above them, the sky was starting to take on the familiar purple of twilight.

“My favorite thing about Texas, dude. Sonics _everywhere._ ” Puck raised his ass off the passenger seat to reach for his wallet. “Only problem is I can never decide between the cheese fries, the chili fries, the jalapeño poppers and the onions rings. What do you say we order one of each and –”

Lauren grabbed Puck’s face with both hands and planted a solid kiss on mouth. He was so shocked that he didn’t stop talking, his lips shaping out the syllables “share them” against hers before he let out a startled “Mmph” and began kissing her back in earnest. He reached his hands toward her, one on her waist and the other tangling in her hair.

Usually, Lauren didn’t like people touching her hair. Puck was an exception.

When she pulled back, Puck had the dazzled, dumb expression she remembered from their seven minutes of heaven back in high school. Lauren’s stomach made a pleasant flip. Puck blinked. “What was that for?”

“You make me want to do ridiculous things, Puckerman,” she said fondly.

“Is that a good thing?”

She nodded. “The best.” Lauren dove in for another kiss. This time, Puck met her more than halfway.

_I've tried to explain, 'bei mir bist du schön.'_   
_So kiss me and say you understand._

–––––––––––––––––-

Brittany and Santana’s apartment, Los Angeles, CA

–––––––––––––––––-

“You guys have got to see the video Kurt sent me!” Brittany exclaimed as she passed the salad to Mercedes. “It’s from their New York dinner last week, and apparently they all started singing and dancing and Artie filmed it. It’s kinda hot.”

“Oh my god Brittany, you’ve watched that like twenty times,” Santana rolled her eyes. “Just let them eat their dinner in peace.”

“It’s ok,” Sam smirked. “Blaine sent it to me too, along with three paragraphs about how sexy Kurt’s dancing was.”

Laughter rippled around the table.

“That sounds like Blaine alright,” Santana agreed. “Lovesick puppy that he is. They need to just get married and get it over with.”

“What gives you the idea that they would get any less sappy after the wedding?” Mercedes asked with raised eyebrows. “They have only gotten _more_ sappy in the last four years, so I don’t expect it to change any time soon!”

Santana snorted. “You’re one to talk!”

Mercedes ducked her head and smiled. “Well, anyway, I’m glad we decided to do this. I loved the potluck dinners we used to have in New York, and I’m so glad we decided to start doing them here too.”

In the background, a big band tune was playing quietly:

_I could say 'bella, bella' even 'sehr wunderbar'_   
_Each language only helps me tell you how grand you are!_

“I feel a little outnumbered here though,” Sam said with a fake whine. “We had a better guy-gal balance in New York.” Santana glared at him and Mercedes elbowed him in the side. Sam looked back and forth between them. “What? I’m just sayin’!”

“I think ours is better because we have cheese,” Brittany announced, stabbing some pasta and watching the cheesey strings stretch up from her plate as she raised the fork to her mouth.

Santana laughed so hard she snorted. “I know, right? I mean, Rachel has a right to be vegan and all, but she was seriously cramping my style!” Heads all around the table nodded. “Me gusta my meat!” Santana added with grin.

“Seriously,” Sam grinned around a mouthful. “You don’t even know, you were only there for a few of those dinners, I was at a bunch of them, and–”

“Be nice Sam,” Mercedes muttered, though even she smirked a little.

“Well, I had commercials to shoot,” Santana said defensively.

“No, no, I know you did,” Sam backpedaled quickly, “Which is awesome because at least you had a job! But I just mean you were spared a certain amount of Rachel-ness…”

Santana pursed her lips. “I did live with her for almost a year before that, you know,” she corrected. “And then again here for a few months before Britt came out this fall. Don't even get me started on the passive aggressive notes she used to put in the fridge when I dared put something non-vegan in there..."

"Oh, I remember those notes," Sam nodded.

"So I think I’ve had plenty of Rachel-ness, thankyouverymuch!”

“I looove cheese,” Brittany interrupted. “It’s like magic because it can be hard and also melty.” She smiled, then her eyebrows furrowed and she frowned. “It’s kind of confusing actually,” she added.

“You’re right!” Sam murmured, staring down at his fork with renewed interest.

“Santana, did you see that tilapia was on sale at the market this week?” Mercedes blurted, awkwardly trying to change the subject.

“Mind-reading is creepy,” Brittany said without even glancing up.

Sam didn’t miss a beat. “Actually I’m thinking about doing a strip in _Accidental Heroes_ that has telepathy,” he said. Somehow he still knew how to find Brittany’s wavelength even when most people couldn’t. Santana shot him a look that was significantly less menacing than usual.

“I found a recipe for it that has spinach and parmesan cheese and it looked amazing,” Mercedes continued, still talking about the sale-priced fish. “I think I will try it out and bring it next week.”

Santana smiled. “It’s good to have a family here,” she said. “For a long time we’ve all been learning to make families wherever we are, but now we’re all getting settled into careers,” she squeezed Brittany’s hand and Brittany beamed back. “And you know, we’re starting to put down roots and stuff and I’m glad we’re building some traditions.”

“Me too,” Mercedes agreed as everyone else nodded. “We may be a little family, we may be a _weird_ family, but we are still a family.”

“Awww,” Brittany murmured, reaching out and pulling the girls on either side of her in for a hug. “Sorry Sam, I can’t reach you over there without dipping my boob into the pasta.”

Sam snorted. “It’s alright, really. Protect the boob. Boobs are important!” he added with a wink at his woman.

Mercedes felt heat rising in her face. “Oh god, Sam.”

“No, no,” Santana agreed. “Boobs are totally important.”

“So!” Mercedes said loudly, determined to change the direction of this conversation to something safe (even as a small part of her wondered if she really wanted to ask this question). “Have you booked your tickets to New York for Kurt and Blaine’s wedding yet? Or do you want to try to all get on the same flight?”

Lighthearted conversation and peals of laughter carried them through the rest of the evening, and warmed their hearts in the days that followed. They might be weird friends, but they were friends. They had been through so many crazy things in the past, and now they were attached to each other enough that they knew they were going to be there for each other for whatever crazy things came in their futures.

_'Bei mir bist du schön' means you're grand!_

 

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Another episode over! The concept of this one was suggested by one of our writers, Mafalda (Soofreakincharmy). Using songs in different language perfectly encapsulates how many people from countries all over the world come together in the glee fandom! Wherever you are right now, we love you!

[ Glee Season Fix on Tumblr ](http://gleeseasonfix.tumblr.com/)

 

[](http://de.tinypic.com?ref=epjcxw)   
[](http://de.tinypic.com?ref=346rej5)   
[](http://de.tinypic.com?ref=de06m0)   
[](http://de.tinypic.com?ref=i3uo29)

 

  
  
Songs:

Ensemble: [Girls Chase Boys](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GBT37_yyzY) by Ingrid Michaelson (English)

Kurt: [La Vie En Rose](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0feNVUwQA8U) by Edith Piaff (French)

Rachel: [Adeus Tristeza](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-V7OfO3epQ) by Amor Electro (Portuguese)

Santana, Mercedes and Brittany: [Suerte ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8Rwz6zBJSE)by Shakira  (Spanish)

Blaine: [Liebeslied](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dPXQXUg8YmE) by Bodo Wartke (English audience version) (chorus in English, verses in English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Dutch, Japanese, Russian, Mandarin Chinese, Hindi, Finnish, and Klingon)

Vibratos: [Bei Mir Bist Du Schön](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xe2UXccid40) by the Andrews Sisters

 


	18. How to Succeed in Life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The road to success sometimes takes sharp turns.  
> Kurt is busy with rehearsals for a costumed reading of his Pippa Middleton musical. Isabelle, his boss at Vogue, wants to make him even busier. He has some tough choices to make about balancing his passions for music and fashion.  
> Blaine’s been interning at a community theater, because he loves making art and helping people. But not everything is as rosy as it seems on the surface.  
> Artie is almost done with the documentary he’s been working on for film school. Now it’s time to find out if it’s any good.  
> Sam wants to turn his superhero comic strip into a book, but he has a hard time believing a publisher would want to work with him since he barely passed high school English.  
> Both Mercedes and Marley could get a career boost when Mercedes records a new song. And Rachel rebuilds her career one piece at a time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This episode was written by [ Wowbright ](http://archiveofourown.org/users/wowbright/pseuds/wowbright), [ gingerfic ](http://archiveofourown.org/users/gingerfic/pseuds/gingerfic), [ Soofreakincharmy ](http://soofreakincharmy.tumblr.com) and [ thedementress](http://thedementress.tumblr.com/)  
> Assistant writing by [ bertagivingopinion ](http://bertagivingopinion.tumblr.com/)  
> Beta by [ HKvoyage ](http://hkvoyage.tumblr.com)  
> [ alwaysfallingforanidea ](http://alwaysfallingforanidea.tumblr.com/)  
> Illustrations for AH [ Dontrainonmyblaine ](http://dontrainonmyblaine.tumblr.com/)  
> Special Thank You to [ thegleekyginger ](http://thegleekyginger.tumblr.com/) for planting the idea for one of Klaine’s wedding prep scenes into our heads.
> 
> Glee Season Fix (“GSF”) was written independently of spoilers about Glee Season 6. If songs or plots overlap, it’s due to coincidence or nature of the storylines that need resolution. If references pop up, we excuse ourselves for not being able to hold back.
> 
> Like on the show, GSF also includes songs and performances. There are links to full versions of each song, as well as a few pieces of lyrics quoted in the scene. We hope you will enjoy listening as well as reading, but be aware that the written version is shortened, whereas the audio versions are the full songs.

_Previously on Glee Season Fix…_

_Remember when Kurt worked on a Pippa Middleton musical back in the summer of 2011? No? To be fair Kurt almost forgot it as well because the next thing he did was almost choke on a non-fat latte when Blaine said ‘I love you.’_

_But besides musicals, Pippa Middleton’s hats, and Blaine, Kurt has always had a soft spot (or obsession, call it what you like) for fashion and that’s why he has a job at Vogue.com and his boss is a real life fairy godmother who, for some reason the world may never understand, asked him a few weeks ago for sketches of some of his clothing designs._

_Artsy stuff is happening with them glee kids, as Sam discovered a talent besides recreating Kurt with pasta. He started a nerdy comic focused on an epic superhero duo, and for some reason it has more fans than his macaroni art ever did. It’s even published in a newspaper._

_Artie’s in a two-year film school and he’s finishing up his final project, a documentary about the dance in the movies. His professor made a fuss when Artie told him there was going to be wheelchair dancing in it, but Artie is like honey badger—he don’t care. Ok, that’s not exactly true, but Artie’s tough and he’s not going to let some stodgy old academic quash his artistic vision_

_Guess who’s finally getting a small taste of success after a harsh period? Miss Rachel Berry! She was cast in a musical, and though it’s not on Broadway and she’s not the lead, never let it be said that Rachel Berry doesn’t put all of herself in every role!_

_In all honesty, these people from glee club can’t seem to stay away from the stage and Blaine is no exception. He managed to get himself involved with a production of The Music Man and now the lucky cast get to hear his wise words while he helps backstage._

 

 

April 2015

—————————————————-

 

  
  
  


Mercedes’ barking laugh filled Sam with joy. He bathed in the glow of showing something he created to the love of his life.

“Oh, those dirty thieves!” Mercedes managed to gasp between giggles, still clutching the Sunday newspaper where the comic was printed. She was fanning herself with her other hand.

“I’ll have you know that the insulation padding was a wall-in-distress that our Accidental Heroes just saved,” said Sam in defense, but grinning all the same. “And that poor widdle puppy…”

Mercedes had to catch her breath before taking a slurp of her coffee. Her eyes shined in amusement over the rim. It was such a lovely day outside that the couple could not waste it by staying indoors. Away from their cafe table for two, the revitalized downtown of Los Angeles hustled and bustled in a way that did nothing to disturb their little bubble.

“You better be keeping these.” She shook the paper at him. “Are you?”

Sam shrugged. “I do. In a box. Blaine wants me to make a scrapbook for it but I’m too lazy for that sort of thing.” He took a sip of his ice-cold milk tea.

“Anyways,” he continued. “I didn’t expect this to kind of blow up, y’know? It started out as a stupid blog and in these times, you know you’ve made it when it gets offline. It doesn’t pay much though, but it’s still nice to see my name in print without having to share a sentence with ‘murder’ or ‘public indecency’.”

Mercedes snorted and gave a little smirk. “I think that bus ad you did last year counts as ‘public indecency’.” She guffawed at her own joke before she could even finish saying it, and that only made Sam adore her even more.

“I was doing New York a favor, babe,” said Sam while winking playfully. They exchanged a grin then fell into a comfortable silence to let the city sounds wash over them.

Sam’s eyes darted around their surroundings; an old couple was having a chatty brunch as a waiter precariously piled cups and plates on to his tray. Behind Mercedes, a young, frail girl was immersed in a graphic novel called _Hyperbole and a Half_ , which Sam knew was from a blog—without warning a wild idea crossed his mind. What if he could get _Accidental Heroes_ published in book form?

Sam’s lips parted in surprise. Luckily Mercedes seemed to be lost in thought (or in her coffee) and she didn’t seem to notice the change in his demeanor. A book? He had never imagined himself doing something like writing a book. Yet he could not suppress the mental image of what his book would look like: _Accidental Heroes written and illustrated by Samuel Evans_ in a blue bold font. But writers are supposed to be smart and have college degrees, aren’t they? With that thought, he suddenly felt insecure. Even a little bit scared.

Then he thought of what Mercedes would tell him if he were to talk to her about it. _“Sam Evans, you listen to me,” she would say. “What you make ain’t crappy. It has worth, because you make people laugh and cheer them up.You have a good sense of humor and **Accidental Heroes** teaches people that the smallest kind gestures can lead on to doing something greater. Imagine that.”_

Sam slowly stirred his drink while mulling over it all.. He wasn’t ready for that big of a step. Was he? Who was he kidding? He was just some poor boy and former stripper from Ohio with a comic blog. “New York Times’ Bestselling Author Sam Evans” sounded like a ridiculous and fantastical notion. It also sounded sort of amazing. Could such a thing really happen for him?

He was brought back to the present when Mercedes laid a gentle hand over his. “Boo, are you ready to go? ”

Smiling with a tender expression, he flipped his covered hand up to raise Mercedes’ fingers to his lips. “Yeah, let’s go.”

—————————————————-

Vogue.com offices, New York

—————————————————-

It was quiet at the Vogue.com office. Most of the staff had already gone home, but with Kurt’s school schedule and fluctuating shifts at the Spotlight Diner, sometimes a Friday night was the best time to get things done. Blaine would be coming by at nine so they could go see Rachel sing at The Blue again—one cocktail there cost more than dinner from their favorite Thai takeout, but Cooper was raking in dough from his new master acting webinar on Udemy.com and had sent some of the proceeds as a pre-wedding gift, so they could afford the indulgence.

Kurt was so immersed in curating scarf recommendations for a gender-neutral accessories column he wanted to propose to Isabelle that he didn’t notice she was standing right over his shoulder.

“How’s your Pippa Middleton musical going?”

Kurt startled back in his chair. “Oh my god! Are you trying to kill me?” His face flushed red and he clutched a hand to his chest. His heart was pounding so fast he could feel it in his eardrums. “How long have you been standing there?”

“Only about a minute,” she said. “You really didn’t notice?”

Kurt shook his head.

She lifted her wrist to her nose and sniffed. “Huh. I guess this new Armani cologne doesn’t have much staying power. And the sales rep told me it was chock full of pheromones _sure_ to get men’s attention.”

Kurt chuckled. “I’m pretty sure _those_ kinds of pheromones always fail on me. Spray on some Axe and maybe I’ll notice.”

“You’re kidding me. Axe?”

“Yes, I am kidding you. But the real key to my heart is almost as embarrassing.”

“Oh?”

Kurt bit his bottom lip, considering whether he should divulge the truth. He looked at Isabelle as if trying to ascertain her trustworthiness. It was all show, of course. Isabelle had proven more than once that he could rely on her discretion. “Raspberry-scented hair gel,” he said dramatically.

Isabelle smiled. “Ah. Is that what Blaine uses?”

“As long as I’ve known him. Before we started dating, I tried to get him to switch to something a little more sophisticated, but now it’s grown on me.” When Kurt had gone to Japan with the Vogue.com team, he’d brought some with him and adapted it into his hair routine just so he would get little whiffs of Blaine throughout the day.

Isabelle leaned against his desk, half-sitting on its edge. “Did you know that your cheeks go all rosy when you talk about him?”

Kurt didn’t know, but now he felt the heat in his face—and as he did, it of course became stronger. “I can’t help it. Emotions show easily on my alabaster skin.” He raised his chin haughtily to overcompensate for his embarrassment. Isabelle saw right through him.

“It’s nothing to be embarrassed about.” Isabelle set her hand lightly on Kurt’s shoulder. “It’s sweet. You must be looking forward to the wedding. It’s getting close, isn’t it?”

“Yes.” Kurt smiled. “I’d be happier if it would plan itself. We’re so behind. We still haven’t gotten out the last of the invitations. And I’m crossing my fingers that my stepmother won’t go into labor in the middle of it.”

“I’m sure it’s going to be an amazing wedding. If I’ve learned anything about you at all in our time together, it’s that you’re absolutely brilliant at pulling event together. _And_ at making things beautiful. You have the magic touch, Kurt Hummel.”

“Thank you.” Kurt’s face burned a bit more. He knew he was good at what he did, but that didn’t make it easy to take a compliment, especially from someone he respected so much.

“I’ve been thinking about how we can give you more opportunities to get rewarded for those talents. I think we can all agree that your internship stipend is laughable.”

That was true. It barely covered subway fare and miscellaneous snacks. “I wouldn’t turn down more money. But you’ve given me lots of experiences that will help me out in the future. Like _Tokyo,_ Isabelle—you were my fairy godmother in that whole thing.”

Isabelle rolled her eyes and waved a hand dismissively. “That? You got that because you’re amazing, Kurt. _We_ needed _you.”_

“And I appreciate the freelance assignments you’ve given me. There are plenty of writers who’d love to be in _Vogue_.” _Appreciate_ was probably an understatement. The money he’d gotten for several short articles had been a huge boost to his “surprise Blaine with absolute indulgence on our honeymoon” budget.

“Again, that’s because you’re a font of brilliant ideas and we’d be stupid to say no,” Isabelle said. “And frankly, we have been stupid. We need to use you more. And that’s why I want you to do me a favor.”

“You know if it doesn’t conflict with school or get me fired at the Spotlight Diner, I will.”

“You’re a fan of Aisha Bonaly, yes?”

“Of course I am. I’m the one who suggested her for our‘most promising young designers of the twenty-first century’ feature, remember?”

Isabelle slapped the heel of her hand to her forehead. “I swear this job is making me senile before my time.”

Kurt patted her hand. “You have a million things to keep track of. It’s okay if you don’t remember every detail of what I’ve done and when.”

“Thanks.” Isabelle gave a relieved smile. “Anyway, you also probably remember we’ve wanted to throw a reception-slash-press event for her, but the scheduling hasn’t worked out.”

Kurt nodded.

“Well, it turns out she’s going to be in New York later this month for a boutique expansion, and if we can get all our ducks in a row over the next few days we can hold it then. I was hoping we could hire you as a freelance blogger for it. I have some folks working on the logistics already. What I’d need you to do is write up something about her each day for our blog over the next two weeks—little pieces that focus on her different influences, her design philosophy, that sort of thing. I know that’s a lot of work and you also have your big Pippa Middleton reading to prepare for, but I’ll make it worth your time. The usual landing-page rate plus 75 percent for the short notice.”

“Landing page?” Kurt repeated the phrase just to make sure he’d heard it right. He’d never had an article featured on the landing page. Those got a lot more clicks and would put Kurt’s name in front of some important people. Not to mention the pay was twice that of the normal rate. Add 75 percent onto that and... Dollar signs floated in Kurt’s eyes. That would more than round out his honeymoon budget. Heck, it would be enough to let him take a sabbatical from his job at the Spotlight Diner for the rest of the semester.

“I’ll do it,” Kurt said.

“Fantastic!” Isabelle jumped up from the desk and clapped her hands together. “I’ll send you an email with the contract and Aisha’s contact information in just a minute. If you use your own phone for international calls, make sure to document it so we can reimburse you. Oh, and remember that she’s five hours ahead of us until she gets to New York, so keep that in mind before you call her home number.”

Kurt’s breath caught in his throat. “You’re giving me her home number?”

“Of course. Probably easier to get her on her cell though. She’s very prompt with texts.”

“You mean, her assistant is prompt with —”

“Oh, no. I mean her. She asked me to have the journalist contact her directly. We want that personal touch—insights into her way of thinking that other magazines haven’t covered before. Did I forget to mention that?”

Kurt nodded his head, stunned into silence. Talking to Aisha Bonaly in person? His stomach filled with so many butterflies that the flapping of their wings threatened to lift him out of his chair.

“Don’t freak out about it. I chose you for a reason. You two will hit it right off.” She stood up and walked toward her office. She turned around abruptly in the doorway, as if suddenly remembering something. “Oh, and Kurt?”

“Yes?”

“That thing you’re working on right now. Is that a column proposal for the website?”

Kurt nodded.

“Good. Because it looks fantastic. What were you thinking. Biweekly? Monthly?”

“I hadn’t thought that far.”

“How about we post it monthly at first and then ramp it up to biweekly when your schedule isn’t so tight?”

Kurt swallowed hard. Was he getting offered _two_ freelance contracts? “Sure.”

“Cool. I’ll write up a contract for that too. Does a year sound okay?”

Kurt nodded, stunned. If he had the promise of steady freelance income, he could quit his job at the Spotlight Diner altogether. “It sounds fabulous.”

—————————————————-

The Crystal Theater, New York

—————————————————-

There was a reason that the theater world referred to the week before opening night as “Hell Week.” The rehearsals were longer, there were fumbled lighting cues, actors tripping on costumes they weren’t familiar with yet, and an orchestra pit full of musicians who complained about having to read their music with only tiny stand lamps. Everyone was exhausted and exhilarated at the same time, with their erratic energy leading to careless mistakes as well as moments of brilliance.

Blaine loved it. He could barely see straight he was so tired, but he was high on the upcoming performances. He had gotten the week off work at the bookstore so that he wouldn’t have to miss any parts of the tech or dress rehearsals, and tonight (with opening less than forty-eight hours away) they were doing lights, sound, costumes, and makeup all at once.

The director, Annie, had given everyone a five minute break while she had a hasty conversation with the conductor and stage manager to make some adjustments for the next song. It had been awkward last night because the song was mostly spoken rather than sung, and for some reason the orchestra and the actor were having a hard time matching each other’s rhythm.

“It’s having the whole orchestra instead of just the piano,” the actor—John—confided to Blaine as they both gulped from their water bottles. “The lead-in sounded different with the rehearsal piano, and I’m just having a hard time hearing it on the other instruments. So then I get stressed and start rushing, but then I’m getting ahead…” He hung his head and sighed. “I should have this figured out by now but I think the memory of botching in the other rehearsal is freaking me out too much to get it right.”

“Would it help if I walk it with you?” Blaine asked. “I mean, obviously I couldn’t for the performance, but I could help you get it right tonight, and then that could help you find the… like, the muscle memory to get it right on your own at tomorrow’s rehearsal so you’ll be ready for open on Friday?”

John’s eyes grew wide. “Seriously? You’d do that for me?”

Blaine laughed. “Why wouldn’t I?”

“Well, you’re getting a degree in performing. I mean this is what you _do_. I’m just an accountant from Queens who likes singing… and who apparently gets stage fright like some novice.”

Blaine threw an arm around John’s shoulder. “Everybody gets butterflies sometimes, even me. You got cast in the lead fair and square, you’re just jittery right now but you’ll be great.”

_“Places!!”_

“C’mon, let’s do this thing!”

John threw Blaine a grateful smile as they walked together to John’s starting mark for [the song.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rroZXCYbqmc&feature=youtu.be&t=11m5s)

_Well, either you're closing your eyes to a situation you do not wish to acknowledge, or you are not aware of the caliber of disaster indicated by the presence of a pool table in your community. Ya got trouble, my friend, right here, I say, trouble right here in River City._

Blaine was right beside John, walking with him across the stage from one group of characters to another, mouthing or speaking the words softly to help John keep his place with the background accompaniment. After coming in on cue (finally!), John already seemed more confident. He started to find his stride as he walked up to one of the townspeople and gave him a thump on the back while making a broad gesture (which narrowly avoided smacking a woman in the face, just as it was supposed to).

_But just as I say, it takes judgement, brains, and maturity to score in a balkline game, I say that any boob can take and shove a ball in a pocket. And they call that sloth._

Blaine had been right beside John, as he had promised, but even at one minute into the number John didn’t seem to need him anymore, so Blaine took a step back, staying nearby but giving the leading man space to do his thing. He was a good singer and a funny, funny actor when he wasn’t freaking out.

John walked along the front of the stage, rattling off lines intently to one townsperson after another.

_I say, first, medicinal wine from a teaspoon, then beer from a bottle._

Several people feigned drunkenness as he passed them, falling against each other or sliding to the floor so that others tripped over them. The overall effect was that as John moved through the crowd, chaos was reigning behind him. Exactly as it was supposed to.

_Right here in River City! Trouble with a capital "T"_

Blaine kept in step with the rest of the crowd, a ball-change here, a step-touch there, _oohs_ and _aahs_ and looks of surprise. The choreography wasn’t complicated for him—he could practically do it in his sleep—so instead he watched the others to see if there was anyone else who needed help. But nobody did. John was on the beat and on his game, and Mitchell was leading a little cadre of boys across the stage as though he had been born to do it.

_One fine night, they leave the pool hall, headin' for the dance at the Arm'ry! Libertine men and Scarlet women! And Ragtime, shameless music!_

At that cue, one of the violinists started a little ragtime ditty that veered outside of the main song, and two young couples (one on either side of the stage) broke into a brief Charleston dance for its duration. Blaine had always thought this was one of the better moments in the show, and he was a little (just slightly!) jealous that he didn’t get to be one of those dancers. But it was ok because he was here to be a helper, not a star, and—oh! He’d better get his mind back in the present!

_Friends, the idle brain is the devil's playground! Trouble!_

Everyone was singing now, pushing each other aside as various characters tried to get into the prime position beside John, er, “Harold,” and use their gusto to prove their devotion to the cause. One particular woman had no qualms about grabbing people’s clothes, arms, or even hair in her rachelberrying to the front. (The audience was going to love her, Blaine thought with a grin.)

_Trouble, oh we got trouble, right here in River City! With a capital "T" that rhymes with "P" and that stands for pool!_

It was back to John—Harold—again. He paraded around, everyone following him like lemmings now as he reached the finale of his message to the citizens of River City.

_Heed the warning before it's too late! Watch for the tell-tale sign of corruption!_

With a sly wink to the audience, and a pat on Mitchell’s nearby head, John strutted across the pool table in the center of the stage, looking down at the assemblage with an amusing mixture of pretentiousness and fondness before stepping down.

_Well, if so my friends, ya got trouble, right here in River city! With a capital "T" and that rhymes with "P"..._

On his final line John’s voice seemed to catch in his throat and he doubled over to cough. Without hesitation or even really thinking Blaine leapt on top of the pool table and yelled “ _and that stands for Pool!!”_

\---

Blaine was tired when the rehearsal finished of course, but he was also high off the energy of running through the show with all the components finally in place. He had a bounce in his step as he hurried around backstage helping many of the younger cast members get their costumes hung up correctly and their props put away.

“You did great,” he kept reassuring them. “If you made a mistake tonight you can fix it tomorrow, and you will be fine at the performance when we have an audience!”

“My grandma is coming in from Buffalo!” one child exclaimed.

“My school teacher is coming to see the show,” another announced proudly.

“I’m sure they will all love watching you,” he said for the umpteenth time that night. Blaine loved their enthusiasm (so much like his own), but he could only hear about Grandma from Buffalo so many times before he started tuning it out.

Mitchell was Blaine’s favorite of course. He tried not to have favorites, but he couldn’t help it. Maybe it was because he had watched him grow and change so much in four short weeks. Mitchell had gone from self-conscious to self-confident, and had become a leader among the kids in the cast. The little boy who had asked Blaine for help with his dance moves was now reviewing steps with another child off to the side of the green room.

“You put the left foot out here, and then cross it back over in front of your right, like this,” he explained as he demonstrated.

“Oh! I was stepping with the other foot!” the other child realized. “That’s why I was bumping into people!”

Mitchell patted his castmate on the back. “I knew you could do it, Charlie!”

Blaine smiled to himself. _Way to go kid._

\---

The kids had all left and the dressing room was more or less in order when Blaine called it a night. He was headed for the exit when he heard voices and went to see if maybe some of the kids were still in the building after all.

As he stepped into the backstage area he stopped, realizing that it was just the director and stage manager sitting on the edge of the stage and talking. Blaine wasn’t one to eavesdrop so he was turning to leave again when he heard Annie say something that made him stop.

“I’m just really bummed about it all."

“I know, I’ve been working here for nine years,” the stage manager agreed. “I love this place, and just the happiness of it, you know?”

“Yep,” Annie agreed. “There aren’t a lot of places doing family shows and children’s theater anymore, and I have been so proud to be part of this holdout. But apparently there aren’t many theaters like this because nobody wants to come to the shows. We’ve been losing money for two years and the owner decided to cut his losses and call it quits. So next week when the final curtain goes down, that’s lights out for The Crystal too.”

“It’s still a shame,” the stage manager said with a sigh. Then he shifted his weight and sat up straight. “I’ve put in my resume at a couple of places. Hopefully I’ll be able to find something else soon.”

“You’ve been a great stage manager for me,” Annie said with a pat on his back. “If you ever need a reference, let me know.”

Their conversation shifted into other topics as Blaine silently slipped out of the theater.

—————————————————-

Brooklyn Film Academy, New York

—————————————————-

It was getting late. Most of the other students had already left for the day, but Artie was still at Brooklyn Film Academy’s computer lab, doing what he hoped would be the final rearranging of clips for his documentary project. He was in a creative groove, so he wouldn’t stop working until the security guard kicked him out. The pieces were finally falling into place. Artie could see the arc of the film, how the disparate bits fit into a whole. Everything, it turned out, connected back to the wheelchair dance scene he’d argued about with his professor too many times to count. There was no way Professor Finch could dismiss it as self-indulgent nonsense now. It was the heart of the film.

And his professor had told him to cut it. Artie shook his head. He would prove the old man wrong.

Satisfaction and pride ran through Artie’s veins at the prospect of nearing the end of a project that had kept him busy and crestfallen for months. Without realizing it, his fingers started drumming on the table, picking up a familiar rhythm. Soon he was humming along until he couldn’t hold back any longer and [started singing.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Et9b7LWfnxQ)

_Ooo Heh heh, Oh, what we're living in, let me tell ya_

He rolled his wheelchair backward and spun around, grooving to the music in his head.

_And I'm giving all my love to this world only to be told I can't see, I can't breathe_

The path to the final act of his project had been nothing short of arduous, maybe because he had a very specific vision when it came to filming and he refused to give it up. He had been encouraged to break out of the box, but thanks to his friends’ advice and his own conviction Artie understood that he had never been in a box to begin with, and it wasn’t his fault if his professor couldn’t see it.

_And nothing's going to change the way we live, 'cause we can always take but never give._

Some people believed that the art behind a motion picture was the magic that happened in the scene, the contraposition between actors and scenario, the human element and the material element blending together to make one. They weren’t wrong, but Artie always had a mantra: he believed that working on visual arts required seeing beyond what the simple eye sees. Every shadow, every color, every casual sound from the street the microphone picked up without planning it—to Artie, the details were what turned a handful of frames into a piece of art. And most importantly, that piece of art had to mean something if you wanted your project to have a soul.

_See, whoa, it's a crazy world we're living in._

Artie wasn’t working on a feature length motion picture now. That day would come sooner rather than later, he was positive, but at the moment he was working on something that, though smaller, was crucial to his future career. At the very beginning and after the harsh and discouraging words of Professor Finch, he had been worried that it wouldn’t work out in the way he had envisioned, but the final result ended up being everything he had hoped for and more.

_And I'm thinking what a mess we're in Hard to know where to begin_

From day one he felt passionate about immortalizing something as important as the art of dancing, and he couldn’t be more grateful that he had the chance to do just that through the body expression and warm voice of his friends. And yes, maybe he would never be a dancer, but he was a filmmaker and a visual artist, and he could use his talent to do more than just sit and complain about his limitations. And hopefully, one day his work would inspire more people to follow his example.

_Ooh, ooh, virtual insanity Ooh, this world has got to change_

Artie scrolled to the spot he’d bookmarked for the film’s title. He’d been vacillating among a few different ideas, unable to decide for sure which one was the best. But he knew what he wanted now. He selected the text function and typed out _I’d Ask the World to Dance_ in a fluid white font. It was a line from “Dancing With Myself,” the Billy Idol song he used to sing to himself when he felt isolated from the rest of the world because they could walk and dance, and he couldn’t—or at least not in the way he wanted. He’d wanted to be able to dance like the rest of the world back then. Now, he just wanted everyone to join him in finding their own way of dancing.

—————————————————-

NYADA , New York

—————————————————-

“We need to run through a couple more scenes and then we’ll call it a day,” Kurt said to the group gathered in the NYADA rehearsal room. It was their first costumed run-through of _Pip, Pip, Hooray!,_ his musical biography of Pippa Middleton told from the perspective of[ her hats](http://wowbright.tumblr.com/tagged/pippa%20middleton), and he still wasn’t satisfied with a few things.

He called the actors playing Pippa’s milliner Rosie Olivia, the antlered wedding hat, and a fedora to the front. “I know it’s harder to sing with that thing around your torso, Patrice. But give it your best shot.”

Patrice was dressed in a fitted black floor-length dress with large, pearl-colored bubbles floating from the hem to the knee. Rising up from there were four twists of silvered metal that wrapped around her body at various angles until they met at the back of her neck, then swooped up over the top of her head like a claw-shaped tiara. She tugged at the twist of metal that crossed beneath her breasts. “It’s pressing against my diaphragm,” she said. “I’ll do what I can, but you really need to adjust this thing.”

Kurt looked up toward the ceiling to calculate how much free time he had this afternoon. He needed to call Aisha Bonaly at 10 p.m. Paris time, and if he started drafting his blog entry during his commute instead of waiting until he got back to the loft, he could squeeze in some fitting time after rehearsal. “If you can stay for a few minutes after we wrap up, I will. I promise you, I wasn’t intending to create a torture device with that dress.”

Patrice laughed. “At least your not asking me to do a 20-minute dance sequence in a corset.”

“Nope. The only person I’m requiring to wear a corset in this production is me.” Kurt jotted down notes to himself as Patrice and her scene partners ran through their three-part fugue, “Netting, Feathers and Organza.” There were a few things he wanted to change about the melody, and some of the rhymes could be wittier. And it would definitely sound better if Patrice could breathe.

He was so absorbed in his note-taking that he didn’t pay attention to the rehearsal room door opening and shutting behind him. Probably one of the actors running out for a bathroom break before the next scene was up.

As the trio closed the fugue, applause broke out behind Kurt’s head. He didn’t take notice of that, either. It wasn’t customary for students to clap for each other’s performances at rehearsals, but it wasn’t unheard of, either. He continued to jot down notes as the next group gathered in place. He looked up and gauged the costumes with a critical eye. The hibiscus pillbox hat with black netting had turned out alright, but the spiralled peacock feathers on the teal hat needed to curl more tightly. The lighting in the rehearsal space made it hard to tell whether the cloisonne-effect hat with iridescent paper butterflies rising from its surface would have enough shimmer on stage.

“Yes,” Kurt heard a familiar voice behind him say. “That’s Kurt Hummel.”

Kurt’s jaw dropped open. “Is that Isabelle?” He said, turning around. His jaw went even more slack when he realized Isabelle was accompanied by the world-renowned designer he was supposed to be calling in just a few hours. Aisha Bonaly was even more stunning in person than in the pictures he’d seen. She was only a few inches taller than Isabelle, but the way she stood made her seem the tallest person in the room. And her skin was to die for: a rich coffee black that absorbed light like a sponge, creating a radiance that Kurt had only strived for in all his years of rigorous skincare routines.

“Aisha had a schedule change so she’s in New York a day early. Aisha Bonaly, this is Kurt Hummel.”

“Pleased to meet you,” she said in a heavy French accent. “I’ve very much enjoyed our interviews so far. It’s good to put a face with your voice.”

Kurt didn’t think his face could look very nice just now. His jaw was still hanging open. He snapped it shut as he took her outstretched hand. “This is quite a surprise,” he squeaked. _“Enchanté.”_

Isabelle began fishing for something in her purse. “We were over at the hotel looking at the space, and since it’s practically next to NYADA, I figured we could stop by here with your badge for the press event next week. That way you won’t need to come into the office and can focus on your blogging.” She pulled the badge out of her purse and held it out to Kurt, who had forgotten to let go of Ms. Bonaly’s hand. He dropped it self-consciously and took the badge. “Oh, and if you need to call Aisha, use her New York cell number instead of the international one.”

“Here, let me send it to you.” Ms. Bonaly pulled out her phone. “Remind me of your number?”

Kurt managed to string the numbers together in a mix of English and French.

“Fantastic!” Ms. Bonaly said. “We’re still on for our call later today, yes?”

“Of course,” Kurt said.

Isabelle squeezed Kurt’s forearm. “Don’t let us interrupt any more than we already have. I know how important rehearsal time is. But do you mind if we stay for a few minutes and watch?”

Kurt pushed down the rising swell of panic in his chest. He’d been confident about most of his costuming decisions up to this point, but suddenly he wondered if he’d been fooling himself. How amateurish did they look to Aisha Bonaly’s trained eyes? “Please make yourselves comfortable," he said.

It was harder to concentrate during the next scene. He had one ear focused on the actors and the other on Isabelle and Ms. Bonaly. Every once in a while the French woman would whisper something indiscernible, and Isabelle would whisper something indiscernible back. Not being able to understand them was so crazy-making that Kurt was almost relieved when he heard them stand up to leave, their heels making click-click sounds across the floor. Isabelle squeezed his shoulder and leaned into his ear. “Great job." He turned to whisper thank you and glanced up at Ms. Bonaly, who kept watching the costumed actors as she left the room with Isabelle.

—————————————————-

Cyberspace, New York

—————————————————-

**Rachel: Look, I found cat Quinn ([ image](https://www.pinterest.com/pin/331436853799857280/))**

**Quinn: I would accuse you of distracting me from schoolwork with silly nonsense, but I do look exactly like that Quinn: Also I don't wear glasses. I’m not studying so hard I’ve damaged my eyes.**

**Rachel: Great! You're free to talk then**

**Quinn: Don't think you're anything more than a welcome distraction**

**Rachel: Don't be mean!**

**Quinn: I may or may not have have just found a cat that looks just like you ([ image](http://www.sunnyskyz.com/happy-pictures/413/Cat-Diva))**

**Rachel: Aww I love you too ❤❤ Rachel: I think you should get a cat**

**Quinn: Well that escalated quickly**

**Rachel: Doesn't it get lonely at your apartment?**

**Quinn: Rachel I have no problems with being single. I'm perfectly capable of living on my own**

**Rachel: Don't jump to conclusions silly Rachel: I just know I would hate coming home to an empty apartment**

**Quinn: It doesn't really bother me Quinn: And even if it did, I'm a dog person**

**Rachel: That's a blatant lie and you know it! Rachel: Quinn Fabray, a dog person. As if! Rachel: Come on! You can call it Mathias**

**Quinn: Mathias is not a cat name**

**Rachel: It so is**

**Quinn: If I'm calling it a person's name I might as well gp with Simon Quinn: go***

**Rachel: Simon?!! Quinn Fabray has officially gone insane**

**Quinn: Because MATHIAS is a perfectly normal cat name**

**Rachel: Yes!**

**Quinn: Rachel, sweetie, Mathias is not a cat name**

**Rachel: Fine we'll call it Furry Brice**

**Quinn: WE'LL call it? Are you planning on moving to New Haven any time soon?**

**Rachel: Nope, I was counting on you moving to New York Rachel: There's no way I would give up on my acting career**

**Quinn: THAT'S RIGHT! How are rehearsals going?**

**Rachel: It’s different being in the ensemble instead of the lead, but everyone is really nice and I’m feeling good about it**

**Quinn: I’m so glad to hear that!**

**Rachel: I’m working my ass off to show people that I’m a serious actress and that I deserve this. But it feels good to be on a stage again, even if I’m in the back Rachel: I’m actually at rehearsal on a break right now, I have to go in just a min**

**Quinn: No prob Quinn: Any cute guys on the cast?**

**Rachel: QUINN!**

**Quinn: Hey I’m just asking!**

**Rachel: I’m not answering that**

**Quinn: Oh there ARE!**

**Rachel: I’m not answering that**

**Quinn: Have you asked any of them out yet?**

**Rachel: I plead the fifth**

**Quinn: Ha I knew it! Quinn: Have you been on Facebook recently?**

**Rachel: Not really, why?**

**Quinn: Puck updated his status last week to ‘in a relationship’**

**Rachel: Oh. How are you handling that?**

**Quinn: I’m the one who broke up with him, I’m fine about it Quinn: I’m just laughing because I know the girl**

**Rachel: ??**

**Quinn: He’s dating Lauren Zizes!**

**Rachel: OH MY GOD! Rachel: I have to go, my break is over**

**Quinn: Bye!**

—————————————————-

Bushwick, Brooklyn, New York City

—————————————————-

Kurt managed to be professional throughout his 15-minute phone interview with Aisha Bonaly later that afternoon. He focused on the influence of West and Central African textiles on her designs, and never once asked what she’d thought of his costumes. Still, the question nagged at the back of his mind. His nerves threatened to raise his blood pressure into the stratosphere.

He stood up from his desk as soon as he’d hung up the phone. He had work to do, but he knew it was worthless to try just now. He wished Blaine was around to make him tea and remind him not to freak out, but his fiancé was at _The Music Man_ rehearsal and wouldn’t get home until late.

Kurt went into the bedroom and put on a pair of light blue socks and a bird brooch that made him think of Blaine. Then he pulled on a coat and set out for a walk. Burning off extra energy usually helped when he was stressed out.

He skipped down the steps and onto the sidewalk, striking west since that was where the sun was headed. He liked Brooklyn at this time of year. It wasn’t full of crocuses and daffodils the way Lima was, but the [Callery pear trees](http://www.theawl.com/2013/04/this-spring-new-york-city-smells-much-less-like-sperm) were in bloom and they gave off a pleasantly musky scent that was a refreshing change from winter’s bare metal, exhaust and ice—or at least Kurt thought so, though Sam used to complain that the trees smelled like “jizz bombs.” The angle of the sun was changing, too. More light entered through Brooklyn’s brick-and-granite canopy and warmth radiated in soothing waves off the pavement.

Kurt took a deep breath as he waited for the crosswalk light to change. As he exhaled, he let the nagging thoughts in the back of his head come to front. Sometimes it was best to ignore them, but other times it was better to listen to them—to let them have their say so he could weigh their merits, then decide whether to act on them or set them aside.

The first thought to hit was that, if only he’d known Aisha Bonaly would be seeing his work today, he could have been more prepared. He could have made an extra effort, worked harder, tried to push the envelope more, maybe even —

Kurt shook his head to himself as he crossed the street. This particular thought had no truth to it. He’d put every moment possible into the play, focusing on it as his major creative outlet for months. He’d spent long nights sewing, tearing unsatisfactory designs apart at the seams, and resewing until he was as satisfied as he could be. Yes, there were still improvements to make, but they were things he couldn’t have known about until he’d seen the play rehearsed.

Blaine always said that Kurt was his own harshest critic, to which Kurt would reply in a saucy tone, “No, _Santana_ is my harshest critic.” But Blaine was right. Kurt demanded a lot of himself, more than he dared demand of other people. He’d done the best he could on the costumes for _Pip, Pip, Hooray!_ Knowing that Ms. Bonaly was going to see them wouldn’t have made him work any harder or better. His motivation to outbest himself came from within.

It was suspicious that Isabelle had stopped by during the rehearsal. Yes, she’d come by NYADA before, but only for performances he’d invited her to. She was too busy to be running delivery errands around Manhattan—that’s what Kurt was for (or at least _had_ been for, back at the beginning of his internship when he was still proving his mettle; now, the newer interns took care of that stuff). He began to wonder—was she trying to play fairy godmother again? Put him in the sights of an influential designer, help him build connections for the future? If so, that would explain why she’d asked him to send her some of his design sketches a few weeks ago. Maybe she’d wanted to show them to people. To _Aisha Bonaly_.

He shook his head again. He was just an amateur. He hadn’t even considered going to design school. Isabelle couldn't possibly think his work was good enough for someone like Aisha Bonaly to pay attention to.

The bodega a few blocks from the loft had buckets of tulips and lilies under the front awning next to its regular stand of produce: ripe pineapples whose sprucey sweetness he could smell from five feet away, red mangos, pale green avocadoes and bright yellow plantains with chocolate-brown stripes developing along their sides. Kurt stopped and leaned toward the lilies to see if they had a scent. They did. It was heady and dense, the olfactory equivalent of curtain-weight velvet. He made a mental note to pick some up on his return route and let his mind wander back to Aisha Bonaly.

The fact that he cared so much about what she might think of his designs made him wonder: maybe fashion was where his heart truly lay. It had always been a part of his long-term plan, but other than working at Vogue.com and doing costuming at school, he hadn’t been actively pursuing it. Performing came first. Fashion was always second—something to do on the side after he’d established himself in the theater scene.

Maybe he had it all backward. Maybe fashion was the most important thing, or at least equally important. After all, the things that occupied his thoughts most first thing in the morning and last thing at night were what he was going to wear. He spent just as much time organizing his scarf collection as he did his sheet music. When Oscar time came around, he usually cared about what the attendees were wearing more than who won.

Whether Isabelle had been trying to play fairy godmother or not, Kurt couldn’t help but long for Ms. Bonaly’s approval. He only wished he had the opportunity to show himself at his best—perhaps at the _Pip, Pip, Hooray!_ reading itself, after all the costume adjustments had been made and the actors were accustomed to moving around in them.

That was a pipedream, of course. A designer of Aisha Bonaly’s stature wouldn’t have time for an amateur like him. Still, _someone_ might come to his show who would be important to his future, so he would put his best foot forward. He would make it as good as if Ethel Merman and Yves Saint Laurent had risen from the grave to attend as his personal guests.

As he approached the postage-stamp park where he and Blaine liked to eat ice cream in summer, ideas for small tweaks to the costumes and script popped into his mind. Yes, it was a good show, but it could be even better. The costumes would sparkle, and so would the performance. This was his opportunity to be noticed in both the worlds he cared about.

He started to [sing to himself:](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOWGG8xABv4)

_Give me somebody to dance for, give me somebody to show._

He skipped into the park and twirled around a lamppost at its edge like it was a stripper pole. No one looked at him. It was New York.

_Throw me a rope to grab on to. Help me to prove that I'm strong._

His voice was growing louder now. A few kids playing four-square stopped bouncing their ball and turned to stare at him.

_Give me the chance to come through. All I ever needed was the music, and the mirror, And the chance to dance for you._

He sang the final words at the top of his lungs and dismounted from the lamppost. A dog barked off in the distance. The four-square kids started to clap. A passerby tossed a Sacagawea dollar coin at his feet.

Kurt smiled to himself, threw the dollar to the kids, and headed home.

—————————————————-

Stir Crazy Coffee Shop, Los Angeles

—————————————————-

“Thanks for meeting with me, Mr. Evans.”

Sam looked over his shoulder, half expecting to see his father there. Who else would somebody call ‘Mr. Evans’? “Oh, yeah. That’s me, huh?” Sam said aloud. “Could you just call me Sam? I’m more used to that.”

“Sure, Sam. And you can call me Janelle.” Janelle Dalca gestured for Sam to sit down across from her. She had chosen a small table with a view out onto Melrose Avenue. The sun was slanting in slightly, and landed on a small Na’vi tattoo on the side of her neck, just above the collar of her conservative blouse. “Do you want anything to drink?”

“Anything’s good as long as there’s sugar in it,” Sam said, then added in Na’vi, “ _Irayo._ ” _Thank you._

“ _Prrte',_ ” Janelle said the closest Na’vi translation for “my pleasure” with a laugh. “I can see we’re going to get along great. I’ll be back in a flash.” And she was, with a mocha latte for herself and an iced white chocolate latte for Sam.

“White Chocolate! That was my stripper name!” Sam said, then blushed. This was supposed to be a professional meeting with someone who could turn out to be his agent, not a trip down embarrassing-memory lane.

Janelle didn’t look shocked, though. In fact, she broke out into a huge smile. “I used to be a stripper, too! It’s a great way to pay the bills, isn’t it?”

“The dancing was fun,” Sam said. “But I like superheroes more, which was why I started my comic.”

Janelle nodded. “It’s a great comic, Sam. I’m so glad you contacted me. One of the publishers I’ve worked with is looking to expand its presence in the graphic novel market, and I think _Accidental Heroes_ could be a good fit for them. It’s humorous in a way that can attract a general audience, but there’s enough superhero action to appeal to traditional comic book readers as well. Could you tell me more about how you see _Accidental Heroes_ working in a book-length format?”

Sam told her the origin story of Blond Chameleon, which was too long and complicated for the Tumblr format or a Sunday newspaper comic strip. He also wanted to do more with the puppy sidekick, and to tell some of Nightbird’s backstory and how he and the Blonde Chameleon came to team up. “I’ve been thinking about new characters, too. A lot of comic books always have big, burly, straight white guys saving the day. I don’t have anything against straight white guys, since I am one, but in my own life, I only ever seem to save the day by accident, you know? That’s why the comic is called _Accidental Heroes._ But most of the people who are heroes to me don’t fit that description. Like the guy who I based Nighthawk on, he’s gay. And his boyfriend is definitely not burly, but he’s like, one of the toughest guys I know. He once rescued a guy who was being gay-bashed—saved the guy’s life. I started writing little stories about the Gay Avenger after that, but I never put them in my strip because I didn’t want to make Kurt mad.”

“I’d love to see the Gay Avenger pieces,” Janelle said. “People are clamoring for those kinds of stories.”

“And my girlfriend, she’s a total superhero, but I never see comics about short, black, curvalicious girls kicking ass and taking names. Or Lord Tubbington—”

“You mean that cat on YouTube?”

“Yeah. He’s an old friend of mine from high school. He’s smarter than most people I know—totally helped me pass high school chemistry. But because he’s fat and a cat, people just assume he’s stupid and lazy, even though he could take out more bad guys than all the other Accidental Heroes combined.”

“I have to admit, I never knew a cat could be all that. I love your perspective, Sam. I really think this might be what the graphic novel market is hungry for right now. And Lord Tubbington, he’s incredibly popular. If we can negotiate some tie-in with his podcast—what is it called again, _Fondue for You?_ ”

“ _Fondue for Two._ My ex-girlfriend from high school does it with him.”

“Are you two still friends?”

“Yeah, totally. We just started having weekly potlucks with her and her girlfriend.”

“Well, if we can get permission to feature Lord Tubbington by name in _Accidental Heroes_ , I think we could have a hit on our hands. The whole thing wouldn’t have to be about him of course—I think your other ideas are great—but his presence would bring in readers who otherwise wouldn’t think about reading a graphic novel.”

“Seriously? You think a publisher would be interested in my book?”

“I really do, Sam. I’d love to pitch it to a few publishers, if you’ll give me the honor of being your agent.”

“That would be amazing! I mean, I guess we need to talk about the money and stuff first, like what your cut would be and all that, but hey—Na’vi ex-strippers unite! I totally want you as my agent.”

They bumped fists over the center of the table.

—————————————————-

A Very Fancy Hotel Most People Can’t Afford to Stay In, New York

—————————————————-

The reception for Aisha Bonaly was exhilarating. So many of New York’s fashion elite were there. Kurt knew almost all of them by name, even among those he hadn’t met before. That turned out to be good, because Isabelle was so worn out from the preparations that she blanked out on several until he whispered helpfully into her ear things like, “That’s Marc Jacobs. Easy to forget him, his face is so generically middle American,” and “I know I don’t have to remind you who Pharrell Williams is, but I’ll repeat his name in case you have a brain freeze.”

Kurt had dressed in sedate, well-fitted neutrals with small design details that showed taste, but did not call attention to themselves. He was there to help Isabelle and Ms. Bonaly, and should be able to fade into the background as needed. “It’s impossible for you to fade into the background,” Blaine had said as Kurt put his outfit together. “You’ll always pull focus. That’s what I like about you.” At that, Kurt had switched from a red ascot to a predominantly gray one, and rejected a chain-link vest in favor of a tweed-and-satin one with corset-style lacing up the back. If he ended up pulling focus, at least it wouldn’t be because he was trying to.

Nonetheless, people had noticed him. It didn’t hurt that Ms. Bonaly called Kurt over a few times to introduce him to people she was talking to. “Mr. Hummel, remember that conversation we had about batik techniques? Ms. Olasunkanmi can tell you even more of the history than I can. I hope you brought your notebook with you!” She gave him a sly wink.

The reception eventually came to an end. Kurt and Isabelle walked Ms. Bonaly and her assistant to the front of the hotel, where a town car was waiting. The assistant got in the car, but Ms. Bonaly hesitated. “Isabelle, do you mind if I speak with Mr. Hummel for a moment?”

“Of course not,” Isabelle said. “I should run back in and settle things with the manager. _À plus tard!”_ She kissed Ms. Bonaly on both cheeks and darted back through the hotel’s revolving doors before Kurt could process that he was being left alone with the world’s most cutting-edge designer.

“Mr. Hummel,” she said. “I've been wanting to tell you it was such a pleasure to stop by your rehearsal. Isabelle had spoken very highly of you, and sent me sketches of some of your designs a few weeks ago that I was quite impressed with. But seeing your work in person—well, all I can say is that you truly have talent. Have you considered making design your full-time career?”

“I’ve thought about it. But it would be difficult to give up performing,” Kurt said, flustered.

“It _is_ a demanding industry. Still, I would love you to consider the possibility a bit more. I have a summer residency program in Paris for young talent and was hoping you’d consider sending me your portfolio for consideration. The application would be a formality, of course. I already know you’re more than qualified.”

Kurt was twitterpated. “I—I honestly don’t know what to say.”

“Say, _‘Oui, bien sûr.’_ It would give you insight into the industry, and you’d work with some of our in-house designers on refining and executing their designs. At the end, you’d have the opportunity to propose designs to myself and some of the other mid-size design houses in Paris and New York.” She studied him for a moment. “Isabelle tells me you’re getting married this spring. If that’s why you hesitate, please know that your husband would be welcome to join you. I understand Paris is a popular honeymoon destination for American newlyweds, _oui_?”

_“Oui.”_

“So say you’ll think about it.”

 _“_ Sure,” Kurt said, then remembering his manners, “ _D’accord. J'y penserai certainement.”_ He would think about it.

“See? You do so well with the French. You’re already halfway across the Atlantic.” Ms. Bonaly pronounced the last word as “Atlantique.”

Kurt watched her get into the car and gave a stunned little wave as it pulled away from the curb.

—————————————————-

Mercedes and Sam’s apartment, Los Angeles

—————————————————-

_Good day, Mr. Samuel Evans,_

_I am Andrew Crush, senior acquisitions editor at Phenomenon Publishing, an imprint of Jones & Jankovic._

_Your proposal has been reviewed and we are pleased to inform you that we are ready to take the next step with Accidental Heroes. We would like to set up a phone conference with you and your literary agent to further explore working with you on this project._

_Attached to this email are the rest of the details for your perusal. Please confirm your availability at the soonest possible time._

_Regards, Andrew Crush Senior Acquisitions Editor Phenomenon Publishing, Jones & Jankovic_

Sam shut his laptop in shock and sank down on the couch. “I’m having trouble breathing lol,” he muttered to himself. He was glad Mercedes was at the studio, because he wanted to keep this whole book thing as a secret until he knew how it would turn out, and he was sure she’d be able to read the expression on his face if she saw him now. He reminded himself to take a deep breath. Hopefully he’d be back to normal by the time she got home.

—————————————————-

Macy’s Department Store, New York City

—————————————————-

Kurt was inspecting a Vera Wang Wedgwood dining set in Macy’s dining & entertaining department when he noticed a thin line of blinding red light appear on the back of his hand.

“Ding! Two points for Gryffindor!” Blaine skipped up beside Kurt, a price scanner in his hand. He raised both fists victoriously in the air.

“Blaine, _this_ is a price scanner.” He held up his own to demonstrate. “ _Not_ a laser tag gun. I'm not Sam, and we are not playing Hogwarts Laser Tag. I am your fiancé, Kurt, and we are in Macy’s registering for wedding presents.”

Blaine pecked Kurt on the cheek. “No law against having a little fun.”

“Wedgwood is serious business.”

“True. I can’t argue with that. Guess I’m just worked up because _we’re getting married,_ ” Blaine said, pronouncing the last few words in a sing-song voice. “I’ll try to be more glum about it.”

“You’re terrible,” Kurt said, but his smile gave away his amusement. He turned back toward the set he’d been looking at—[a white setting with a fine silver grosgrain pattern around the edges](http://www1.macys.com/shop/product/vera-wang-wedgwood-dinnerware-grosgrain-5-piece-place-setting?ID=84948). “I like the simplicity of this one. What do you think?”

“As long as we can also register for the tea set with the birds on it,” Blaine said, pointing to a china [teapot and cup painted with colorful cuckoos](http://www1.macys.com/shop/product/wedgwood-cuckoo-collection?ID=523076). He gave Kurt a mischievous wink. “You know how much I love birds.”

Kurt stifled a giggle. “Yes, I do. Let’s register for both then.”

Blaine made high-pitched laser noises as he scanned both items. Then they walked toward the flatware display to examine special occasion place settings. It was going to take a while. They were both fussy about the feel of a utensil in their hands.

“How was your rehearsal today?” Kurt asked as he weighed a fork between his thumb and forefinger.

“Well, you know how I told you howthat I overheard that The Crystal is going out of business?” Blaine was considering steak knives, even though he rarely ate steak.

“Yes.”

Blaine put the knife down and reached for another. “Well, of course I didn’t mention it to anyone else, but apparently the rumor has spread anyway—”

“Actors are the worst gossips.” Kurt rolled his eyes.

“So, you know, the first weekend of performances went great,” Blaine explained. “But then people started hearing that this was the last show, and at the pick-up rehearsal today it was just…” He trailed off, gesturing wildly as he tried to find the words. Kurt took the knife out of his hand and placed it back on the shelf.

“Terrible?”

Blaine nodded. “Everyone was distracted and unfocused. The first twenty minutes was such a mess that Annie stopped the run-through! I mean, that just isn’t done at this point in the process! But she had to stop them, and she tried to give a pep talk, but then she was getting so emotional too that it wasn’t helping. So I stepped in.”

“You stepped in?”

“Yeah,” Blaine grinned fondly. “Um, I actually was almost surprised at myself when I did it. I didn’t plan to, you know? But I just started talking to them all about how The Crystal had this great history of doing good shows, and that its legacy wasn’t going to go away just because it was closing. And people were listening, so I just kept talking. I talked about how we owed it to our audiences, and to every performer who had gone before us, to make our final nights amazing. And how it didn’t matter that things felt like they were falling apart around us, because we could rise above it and still put on a great show.”

Blaine’s breathing had gotten faster and faster as he talked. “Anyway, it worked. Everyone rallied and we did a run-through that was one of the best we’ve ever done! I just hope we can keep it up through the weekend.”

“Well, if they don’t, apparently you know how to get them inspired again.” Kurt smiled. “I’m so proud of you, Blaine. They’re lucky to have you.”

“Thanks, Kurt.” Blaine blushed and gestured at the fork in Kurt’s hand. “Do you like that one?”

Kurt shook his head. “The aesthetics are nice, but the weight is wrong. Too heavy. I like to work on my arm muscles, but not while I’m eating salad.” He put it back and reached for another.

After a fews minutes of silently testing the flatware, Blaine blurted out, “I’ve been so preoccupied with my play that I totally forgot to ask you how the reception with Aisha Bonaly went.”

“Ah. That.”

“Not so well?”

Kurt put his utensil down. “Actually, it went _very_ well. Shockingly well, you might say.”

“You make that sound like it could be a bad thing.”

“No, it’s just —” Kurt took a deep breath and turned to face Blaine directly. “I was taken by surprise. She all but offered me a job in Paris this summer. Or—no. She _did_ offer me a job in Paris this summer.”

Blaine dropped the spoon he’d been holding to the floor. “Oh my god! Kurt, that’s amazing! Would it be at her label?”

Kurt nodded his head. “It would be an apprenticeship of sorts. I’d get to work with her designers and propose some designs of my own, both to her and some of the other mid-size labels in Paris and New York.”

“I’m so proud of you.” Blaine launched himself toward Kurt and squeezed him tight. “I _told_ you you have more talent in your little finger than most people have in a lifetime. You’re going to take it, right?”

“Well, I have to talk it over with you first. And Isabelle. And my parents. You know how we had talked about staying in Lima for a few weeks this summer to help out after the baby’s born.”

“Your parents of all people would understand. And me—god, I’d miss you, but if you want to pursue fashion, that’s kind of an opportunity you can’t pass up.”

“Um, actually, she said something about providing housing for partners, so if you wanted to, you could come, too. But I know how much you love New York, and all the stuff you’re involved with here, and I wouldn’t just want to assume I could drag you away —”

“You’re adorable.” Blaine flung his arms around Kurt and wrapped him into a warm hug. “Of course I’d want to go with you, if I wouldn’t be in the way.”

“You’re never in the way, Blaine.” Kurt gave Blaine’s shoulder a quick kiss. “I’d love you to come with me, if I decide to go.”

Blaine stepped back so he could look Kurt in the eye. “You’re thinking about not doing it?”

“You know that in my long-term plan, I wasn’t planning to get serious about the fashion stuff until age 24,” Kurt said sheepishly.

“There’s something to be said for flexibility.”

“And I’m great with flexibility when it comes to yoga and… other things.” Kurt waggled his eyebrows.

Blaine blushed. “That you are.”

“But when it comes to life stuff, it’s harder. You know how I like having a plan for everything. This wasn’t in the plan. But ever since Isabelle and Ms. Bonaly showed up at rehearsal last week, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about wanting to work in fashion. Honestly, I went for that first interview at _Vogue_ because part of me was hoping that eventually something like this would come up, but I wasn’t really _expecting_ it to. And now I don’t know what to do because I’d been thinking about doing a community theater production this summer to get more stage experience in, and I wouldn’t be able to do that if I was in Paris.” Kurt sighed. “Maybe I’m not seeing the big picture. Or maybe I _am,_ and the big picture is that I need to focus on the performing arts with all my energy right now if I want to excel at them. Or that I need to work on _both.”_ He shook his head. “I just don’t know. I’m in too much shock to think about any of this clearly.”

Blaine rubbed the small of Kurt’s back. “I’ll support you no matter what you decide.”

“Thanks, sweetheart.”

They went back to scrutinizing the flatware, but it wasn’t long before Blaine saw a bright stripe of red light on his forearm and heard Kurt sing out a high-pitched “Zap!”

Blaine laughed. “Hey, I thought this wasn’t laser tag!”

“It’s not, but my brains are too fried to look at any more flatware today. Besides, you’re the only thing I _really_ want for a wedding gift.” Kurt wrapped his arm around Blaine’s waist.

“Awww. You’ve already got me. See—” He straightened his bow tie as Kurt kissed his neck, “I’m wrapped up for you with a bow!”

“Well then,” Kurt murmured. “I’d better take you home and unwrap you.”

—————————————————-

Mike’s Place, New York City

—————————————————- Cheers went up in the Mike’s living room as the closing credits of Artie’s documentary started to roll across the TV screen.

“That was amazing!” Mike reached over and gave Artie a slap on the back, but Artie didn’t let it go to his head. Of course Mike would tell him it was amazing. He’d been incredibly supportive through this whole project, and even though he hadn’t put as much work into it as Artie had, he’d certainly put a lot.

Artie was more curious about what the rest of the group thought. From the clapping and hooting, it appeared that they liked it. But maybe they were just a really polite group. Artie wouldn’t know. This was his first time meeting most of them. He’d wanted to screen the film with strangers so he could get honest feedback before turning it in to his professor, so Mike had invited a bunch of the dancers from the _Hedwig_ concert to screen the documentary. Even the choreographer had come. Artie couldn’t remember his name—it was something super-preppy like Spencer or Nick or Jeff, even though the dude wasn’t preppy at all. He was a tall, muscular man with a modified military-style cut that was too long at the top to get him confused for an actual active-duty soldier, although his bulging biceps and pecs that were visible through the front of his tight T-shirt certainly might get him mistaken for one. Artie had been watching him through most of the film, and not just because he had a distracting body. He was the most experienced dancer there, and Artie was gauging his face for reactions. If someone who knew so much about dance could like his movie, Artie had done exactly what he’d set out to do.

The choreographer turned around. His eyes were bright and he had a huge smile on his face. “I’ve seen a lot of movies about dance in my life, but I’ve never seen anything like that.”

“Is that a good thing, or a bad thing?” Artie said in a tone that Kurt, if he had been there, would have labeled as flirting.

“It’s a great thing. You really captured what dance can mean.” He reached out and squeezed Artie’s knee, which Artie couldn’t really feel—but he appreciated the gesture, anyway. “And I loved how the wheelchair dancing tied it all together. Because dance—all the little technical things that we do are important parts of it, sure. But dance shouldn’t be limited by what we can do with our feet or legs. It’s about the human heart.”

Mike had jumped up from the couch and started teaching some of the dance moves from one of the movie’s scenes to several guys. Other dancers were fighting over the remote control because they wanted to rewind to their favorite scenes and watch them over again. The chaos was so pervasive it became a steady wall of sound that seemed to cocoon Artie and his conversation with the choreographer from the rest of the people in the room. Artie ignored the blush heating his cheeks. “I’m glad you think so. That’s one of the things I wanted to get across. Dancing’s always been really important to me even though —”

“I totally need to try wheelchair dancing now!” Artie’s sentence was interrupted by a young Puerto Rican who had been sitting on the floor with perfect crosslegged posture through the whole movie, and had just lost control of the remote to a small, willowy black man whose size belied his strength. The Puerto Rican guy spun around and gave the choreographer a pinch. “Spence, you should add some wheelchair dancing to the review! It would be awesome.”

The choreographer—or Spence, apparently—laughed. “Maybe if I could trust you guys not to crash into each other. Besides,” he added, turning back toward Artie, “I don’t know how. I have to learn from an expert.”

“Find yourself a wheelchair and I’ll be happy to teach you,” Artie said. Yeah, Kurt would definitely have said Artie was flirting now, but Kurt read gossip into _everything_. Artie cleared his throat. “Can you help me get your band of ruffians organized? I’d like to get some formal feedback before the evening is over. I’m planning to submit this to the Breakneck Film Festival in a few days, so I really want to make it shine.”

“The Breakneck? I go to that almost every year! I hear it’s really competitive, but they’d be idiots not to show this—from a viewer’s perspective, at least. I guess I don’t really know anything about movies.” Spence smiled self-effacingly.

“That’s okay,” Artie said. “In the end, the viewers’ perspective is the only one that matters.”

Spence patted Artie’s leg one more time before standing up and calling the group to attention.

—————————————————-

Cyberspace, a few days later

—————————————————-

**Sam to Blaine: Break a leg bro!**

**Blaine to Sam: You do know I’m not actually in the performance, right?**

**Sam: Yeah, but you’re involved**

**Blaine: And you do know that this is our second weekend, not the first, right?**

**Sam: Um Sam: I mean Sam: Crap it’s hard remembering to support my friends on all the right days when they are a million miles away**

**Blaine: Well thank you then. And as long as you don’t forget when the wedding is, then all is forgiven**

**Sam: I am SO not forgetting**

**Blaine: So how is life treating you? I’ve hardly talked to you lately. Sorry I’ve been so busy.**

**Sam: Hey you had a show, it’s cool Sam: Actually I do have some really exciting news though Sam: But you can’t tell anybody**

**Blaine: I don’t keep secrets from Kurt**

**Sam: oh Kurt doesn’t count. I meant like anyone else.**

**Blaine: Ok…?**

**Sam: So, you know how Accidental Heroes is getting published?**

**Blaine: In the Lima paper, yeah**

**Sam: I just submitted a set of strips—including some new ones—to be published in a book.**

**Blaine: Wow! Like your own book? Of just Heroes?**

**Sam: Yeah**

**Blaine: That’s amazing! Blaine: Why don’t you want people to know?**

**Sam: I’m just kinda nervous you know Sam: I mean Mercedes is really encouraging and supportive, and we talked about that maybe I could think about doing this. But she doesn’t know I actually sent it in yet. Sam: I want to surprise her if they accept it Sam: But I don’t want her pity if they don’t**

**Blaine: I don’t think she would pity you. She would be proud of you for trying.**

**Sam: She wouldn’t say it, but she would feel bad**

**Blaine: Well then fingers crossed for you!!!!! Blaine: I have to go help some kids get their stage makeup on though so I’ll have to catch you later**

—————————————————-

The Crystal Theater, New York, closing night of _The Music Man_

—————————————————-

Blaine knew it was bad form to peek out at the audience from the wings, but he had done it anyway until he found what he was looking for: Kurt was sitting on the third row, halfway over, right where Blaine had expected him to be. (“ _Not so close to the stage that I’ll get a crick in my neck or get spit on, but not so far that I’ll miss any lines from young actors with poor diction._ ”) The Crystal didn’t have assigned seating, but Blaine was pretty sure that Kurt had made Elliott and Dani come with him to be the first ones through the door when the box office opened an hour before the show. (“ _Being early is important, Blaine, it demonstrates respect for the performers and for the art form itself. And walking in during the overture is tacky_.”)

It was just as well that Kurt had insisted on being early, Blaine noticed, because the theater was packed. In spite of not actually being on stage in the show, Blaine had invited all his friends, coworkers, professors, NYADA classmates, neighbors, and everyone else he could think of; and either they had all come or other cast members had been doing the same, because it looked like they had a full house. The audience had enjoyed the show, and the performers had picked up on the energy and put on a fantastic closing night.

Now that the final curtain had dropped though, the floodgates had opened and everyone was getting emotional. Closing nights were always emotional, but things were at a whole new level this time because of the added knowledge that The Crystal was closing. Within the first five minutes Blaine had hugged and been hugged by so many people that he’d lost count. Some of them weren’t even people he knew! He was just milling around in the crowd backstage waiting for Kurt, Elliott, and Dani to come backstage. They had told him that they were coming back and that under no circumstances was he to go anywhere before they had seen him.

He saw Elliott first, taller than most of the crowd. Hs spiky black hair made him easy to recognize. The flash of bright green hair next to him was Dani, and then there was Kurt, pressing into his arms with a solid kiss and a whispered, “You were amazing, as usual."

"I wasn't even onstage!" Blaine reminded him.

"No, but your work was and I could see it."

“Is this your fiancé?” Annie asked from behind him.

“No, that would be me,” Elliott said with a smirk. “This is just some random guy we found—oh!” He stopped abruptly as Dani punched him in the arm.

“Yes, Kurt Hummel, pleased to meet you,” Kurt said, extending his hand to her.

She took it enthusiastically. “Thank you for letting us steal Blaine so much this last month. I’m sure that wasn’t easy with the wedding so close, but he was a real lifesaver for us all here. I really don’t know if we could have pulled it off without his help.”

“Awww,” Blaine started bashfully, but Annie cut him off.

“No, really. I mean the show would have happened of course, but it would not have been of this calibre. Blaine really is great.”

“Well I’ve always thought so,” Kurt grinned as Blaine’s head dipped again. “He’s amazing.”

“If you’ll excuse me,” Annie said, “I need to do something before people start leaving.”

They all nodded, excusing her, and turned to one another to offer congratulations and thanks. It was only a few moments later though that they all heard Annie’s voice again, this time from the stage, where she had climbed on the pool table and was now speaking loudly to the assembled cast, crew, and friends who were milling around the area.

“Hi everyone, my name is Annie Blackmore, and I was the head director of tonight’s production of The Music Man. I want to personally thank each of you who came out tonight, either to watch or to perform. As many of you know, this was The Crystal’s last production, and I cannot imagine a better way to say goodbye. Thank you all for your talent, your energy, your time, and your support. Collectively we have given years of productions to this community, and although it is hard to say goodbye, we are proud of all we have done. Thank you, and good night.”

“Awwww,” Dani murmured. “That’s really sweet.” Elliott sniffed, opened his mouth wide, and blinked a couple of times to make sure that he wasn’t getting teary. Dani offered him an elbow and he took it. “Let’s go see if we can find that Mitchell kid Blaine keeps talking about and give him a high five.”

Kurt pulled at Blaine where he had his arm around him. “I texted for a cab so we don’t have to take the subway.” He grinned. “ I figured your closing night was worth a splurge.”

“Oooooh!”

“Shut up,” Dani told Elliott. Then she glanced back over her shoulder toward Blaine. “We’ve got ice cream and homemade cupcakes back at the loft,” she said. “It’s not a big afterparty, but we thought you might not be up for anything too big.”

“Also about thirty-seven hours worth of reality TV on the DVR,” Kurt added. “And I asked Elliott to grab us a couple of bottles of wine,” he added softly. “In case you prefer that route.”

Blaine just nodded mutely and let them take him home. The whole way home he hardly spoke beyond a “yeah,” or “uh-huh.” Either no one noticed how quiet he was being, or perhaps they assumed it was just that he was tired, because no one said anything. At one point Kurt did give him a questioning look, but Blaine just smiled and nodded and Kurt had gone back to the conversation. Blaine hadn’t expected to feel so conflicted about finishing his internship, but he did.

—————————————-

Empire Recording Studio, Los Angeles

—————————————————-

_I['m ready for this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RhyDNgS09cU&feature=youtu.be&t=3m40s) , I need you all in I'm ready for this, so darling, hold my hand_

Mercedes belted out a final note that was unlike anything she has ever attempted before. This one was soulful, but scratched with the pain, love, and hopes of life. When she finally opened her eyes, she could see her producer, Rosco “The Beat” Lyon, nodding and clapping his approval from behind the glass of the mixing studio.

“Well done, Mercedes,” he said into the microphone, smiling. “That is exactly what I wanted to hear. We can call it an afternoon.”

“Thank you, Mr. Lyon. I couldn’t have done it without you,” she said sincerely.

Mr. Lyon was an aging man and with a very good ear for music that ran in his family. Most of the older musicians who worked with him called him by his first name or his nickname, but Mercedes couldn’t bring herself to do it. The two times she’d tried, she could hear her mother’s voice going on about the need to respect your elders. Mr. Lyons thought it charming that Mercedes called him by his last name, even though he sometimes joked that it make him feel like an old man “deserving of respect.”

“You _are_ deserving of respect,” she’d told him, and it was true. He was a great producer who’d pushed her farther than she’d thought she could go.

Mercedes felt exhausted from the twelve times he had had her sing _Hold My Hand_ before he was satisfied. So to have his praise felt like reaching the top of a mountain after hours of climbing.

She left the singing booth and walked into the mixing room where Mr. Lyons and Santana stood. He turned to her. “Tell your friend Marley to write us more hits like this. We could have a chart-topper on our hands.”

Mercedes felt her head spin at the word “chart-topper” and could already see how many variations of #blessed she’d be captioning on her Instagram out of excitement. “I’ll give Marley a call right now and tell her that.” She threw her arms around Mr. Lyons and he gave her a fatherly embrace.

Santana slapped Mercedes five and said with a sly grin, "I guess that white girl can write."

Mercedes pulled out her phone to call Marley.

“Hello? Mercedes?”

“Hi boo,” Mercedes greeted with a smile. “He loves it and wants more.”

“More what? Who?”

“Marley, my producer loves your lyrics! He wants you to send us more songs.”

“Oh my god!” Mercedes wished that she could see the girl jumping up and down at the other end of the line, squealing her heart out. “Are you serious?!”

“For real! Want to hear it?”

While Marley babbled on excitedly, Mercedes tapped the shoulder of the sound engineer to request a [playback](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RhyDNgS09cU&feature=youtu.be). As the sound filled the studio, Mercedes lifted her phone in the direction of the nearest speaker.

_In my mind, I'm running round a cold and empty space Just put your arms around me, tell me everything's ok_

Mercedes put the phone back to her ear. “Hello? You still with me, Marley?” she said.

“No, she’s dead. This is her ghost. Oh my god, Mercedes you sound amazing!” Marley gushed. “You make my little song sound so … big!”

_I'm ready for this, there's no denying I'm ready for this, you stop me falling_

Mercedes smiled. “Honey, I couldn’t have done it without you.”

—————————————————-

The Crystal Theater, New York

—————————————————-

 _The Music Man_ had closed almost a week ago, but it hadn’t really left Blaine’s head. It was just a show, he reminded himself. Just a show like so many others he had done. Shows open and they close and that’s the nature of live performance: it is temporary. Still, Blaine couldn’t help feeling a certain sadness as he stood in front of the familiar building one last time.

The Crystal had changed since the first time Blaine had seen it. It wasn’t just that it was familiar now, or that Blaine had memories associated with it. No, it was something more than that. The ivy that trailed up the walls was beginning to leaf out, covering the old brick and giving it a softer look, if still an aged one.

He went around to the stage door and knocked. Nothing was unlocked anymore, but Annie had asked him to come help with some of the final cleaning up from the show. Technically he still had two hours to finish on his internship, and even though she had already signed off on his paperwork, he had readily agreed to come help straighten dressing rooms, put props on shelves, and sweep the stage.

\---

“What’s going to happen to all of this stuff?” Blaine asked as he carefully set a flowered hat into a round box and stretched to set it on the top shelf.

“I’m not really sure,” Annie confided. “I’m just a director. I don’t own the place so I don’t make final decisions. I guess they’ll try to auction off what they can.” She shrugged and sniffed, then cleared her throat as though trying to cover up the fact that she obviously was feeling emotional about the whole situation. “Well,” she continued, looking around and wiping her hands on her pants, “I think we’re done in here. Can you just sweep the back hall there while I get the stage, and then we’ll be done.”

“Sure.”

Blaine grabbed the wide push broom and headed for the hallway that connected the green room, dressing rooms and stage with the outside entrance. He started right in on his task, pushing the broom along the floor and periodically tapping it on the ground to get dirt and dust out of the bristles. Before he had gotten halfway down the hall he had created such a cloud of dust that he was sneezing and had to stop sweeping for a minute. He bent low over the child’s height drinking fountain for some water, and as he straightened up his eyes landed on the large framed production poster on the wall above it. It was for a production of Fiddler on the Roof. He squinted at the small, faded dates across the bottom: September 1986. He glanced at the framed posters to either side: Annie (1992), A Christmas Carol (1998), My Fair Lady (1979), and beyond them in either direction two dozen more. Between the official posters were the large frames filled with newspaper clippings and cast photos. None of them were recent enough that he recognized anyone, but he couldn’t help feeling honored to have been a part of this rich history. All these things had been proudly hung on the walls in their time, but now just collected dust.

A year ago Blaine had been thrilled to follow June Dollaway around through the glitzy bright lights of the performing elite, and he had no regrets about that at all. But as he looked down the dingy, well-used, and well-loved back hallway of The Crystal, he realized that the beauty of the stage wasn’t limited to the dazzling lights of Broadway, but that it also lived in the small, warm, personal spaces like this one. There was a magic to live performance—whether the performer was on a Broadway stage or by the streetside busking. Being a part of something made it special, not because of what _it_ was, but because of what _he_ was.

Blaine blew at the dust on the frame in front of him and it billowed into the air for a moment before resettling where it had been before. He drank again from the fountain, and then finished his sweeping. He set the broom in the corner of the stage. “I’m done now, Annie,” he called.

“Thanks for helping, Blaine,” she called back with a smile and a wave. “I hope I get a chance to work with you again someday.”

“Me too.” He walked down the hallway quickly now, knowing that if he slowed he would get lost in the pictures and vicarious nostalgia again. As he pushed open the door, though, he couldn’t help turning and looking back for just a moment, and whispering “goodbye.”

—————————————————-

An Off-Broadway Theater, New York

—————————————————-

Rehearsals could be monotonous, especially for someone who was mostly just in group numbers and had to sit around during the scenes with fewer people in them. Rachel was trying to make the most of it though, reviewing her script, stretching, and watching everything that Laurie or Ado Annie did.

“Rachel, can you come here?” Her director surprised her when he called from across the room.

“Sure!”

Rachel hurriedly crossed to him. “Hi Mr. Zandowski, what did you need?”

“Rachel, I just wanted to thank you for always working so hard in rehearsals. You really set the bar high for the ensemble. Some people think that just because they’re not the lead they can be lazy, but you don’t do that, and I appreciate it.”

“Oh, um, thank you.” She wasn’t sure what she had expected when he called her over, but it hadn’t been this.

“I think you are aware that hiring you was a very risky decision,” he continued. “Considering your reputation and all…”

“I am,” she rushed to reply.

Zandowski held his hand up to interrupt her.

“I had pretty much the whole crew thinking I was insane. We all know about ‘Rachel Berry, the young diva.’ But there was something about you… I’m not sure. Maybe it was the song you sang, about not blaming your problems on the world that made me see you with a different eye. Anyway, I am impressed, I really am.”

She stared at him with wide eyes, speechless.

“Keep up the good work.”

—————————————————-

New York City and Los Angeles

—————————————————-

Blaine and Kurt walked side by side, methodically zig-zagging their way through the NYADA building. Periodically they would pause, and Blaine would pull down a _Music Man_ poster he had hung a few weeks ago, and Kurt would put up a _Pip, Pip, Hurray!_ poster in its place.

“You miss it.”

“Yes.”

“All shows end, Blaine.”

“I know.”

Kurt leaned over and placed a gentle kiss on his cheek. “I’ve been working on this musical for more than four years. I’m going to miss it too.”

Blaine smiled back. “It’s good to have someone who understands.”

[There is a brotherhood of man](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4EI-2b-5SI&feature=youtu.be&t=44s)  
A Benevolent Brotherhood of Man  
A noble tie that binds all human hearts and minds  
Into one Brotherhood of Man.

\---

_Your lifelong membership is free. Keep agivin' each brother all you can._

Sam was sitting on the couch sorting through the mail when he saw _it._ He tore open the envelope and held his breath as he quickly read down the first page it contained.

“Oh my god Mercedes!!!” he yelled, leaping into the air and literally over the back of the couch.

She came around the corner in a hurry, colliding with him. “What? What’s wrong!”

“Nothing’s wrong, something right!” He waved the paper in her face.

“What is that?”

“My book, Cedes, my book! Phenomenon Publishing sent me a contract to sign! They want to publish a whole book of _Accidental Heroes!_ ”

“Totally out of the blue? That’s amazing!” Her eyes went wide and she squeezed his arms so tight he wondered if she would leave bruises.

“Not out of the blue,” Sam mumbled, ducking his head. “I've been negotiating with them.”

“You sneaky chameleon, I had no idea!” She loosened her grip but was still smiling. “Why’d you keep something so big to yourself?”

Sam shrugged. “I guess I wanted to prove to myself that I could do it on my own—you know, work on my career, be a grown-up. All that stuff.”

Mercedes stood on her tip-toes and kissed Sam on the cheek. “I’m so proud of you, Sam. We should break out the bubbly.”

“Since when do you keep champagne around the house?”

“I don’t. But I’ve got some Orangina in the fridge, so we can have that and pretend.”

“Sounds perfect,” Sam said, squeezing her hand. He’d rather spend the evening sober anyway, so he could keep drinking in the proud smile on his girlfriend’s face.

“To _Accidental Heroes_ ,” Mercedes said after she’d poured them each a glass.

Sam clinked his glass to hers. He was proud of himself, too. For so long he’d thought the only useful thing about him was his looks. But his imagination and spirit were just as important. He was finally beginning to understand that. “To new beginnings!”

He savored the drink and wondered if a year from now, Mercedes would want to be by his side during the book launch. The twinkle in her eyes gave him his answer.

_\---_

_Remember mediocrity is not a mortal sin._

Rachel thumbed through the pages of her dog-eared script, following along as the leads ran through one of the iconic scenes of the play. The actress playing Laurie was a great singer and dancer, but she did keep mixing up her lines. Rachel took a deep breath and reminded herself that everyone had their flaws, and that this wasn’t her choice to make. Mr. Zandowski had praised Rachel for her work in the ensemble, so she was going to be the best ensemble member ever.

She sighed and went back to mouthing the lines along with the lead. She didn’t have to look at the script to know every word and even where every page-turn was. Rachel Berry never missed a line. Ever.

\---

_Dedicated to giving all we can._

Artie rolled toward the mailbox outside Brooklyn Film Academy. As soon as he dropped his DVD in the mail, his plan was to go home and sleep for 18 hours straight. He’d spent every minute he possibly could over the last few days editing his dance film, forgoing sleep and even working on it in class when he should have been taking lecture notes. His arms felt like noodles. Coffee was the only reason they had enough energy to propel him forward along the sidewalk.

His exhaustion was worth it. He was going to meet the deadline for New York’s Breakneck Film Festival. The name came from the festivals’ speedy judging process, and also from the requirement that all submitted films must have been completed in 8 months or less, including scripting, filming and editing.

Artie stopped in front of the mailbox and reached up to open its trapdoor. He dropped his padded envelope in. It landed with a satisfying _swush_ among the box’s other letters. In less than two weeks, he’d hear back about whether his film had been accepted for the festival. He crossed his fingers and knocked on his bamboo phone case before turning toward home.

\---

_Oh, that noble feeling, feels like bells are pealing!_

“Mom!” called Marley as she ran into the cafeteria’s back room. Her smile was all teeth and sunshine. “You’ll never believe it!”

Millie set down the potato she’d been peeling. “I’m guessing it’s good news.”

“It’s the best!” Marley threw her arms around her mom. “Mercedes’ producer wants me to send more songs!”

\---

_You, you got me; Me, I got you, you!_

Kurt and Blaine sat next to each other on the couch with the last of their wedding invitations in front of them on the coffee table.

“You know, I believe that traditionally addressing invitations is considered a duty of the bride,” Kurt moaned, setting down an envelope and shaking out his wrist. “So neither of us should have to do this.”

Blaine picked up the envelope and put an invitation in it. “Maybe we should have gotten the postcard kind, so we wouldn’t have to stuff envelopes.” He licked the flap, grimacing at the taste of the glue, and set the finished product in a basket. “Better yet, maybe we should have done electronic—”

“No! Blaine, e-vites are not acceptable for weddings!” He slammed an envelope down and gave Blaine a playfully angry look.

Blaine snickered. “Obviously, but I just made you laugh!” He watched Kurt cross another name off the list. “At least we’ve already sent out the invitations to out-of-state guests. All we need to do now is finish the ones for our New York friends. We’re almost there.”

Kurt nodded. “It was a lot to ask of our Ohio friends to come out here, but we didn’t really have a choice...” He trailed off as his phone rang. He looked at the screen before answering it. “Hi Dad!”

Blaine went on with the envelopes until he heard Kurt’s breath quicken.

“Ok, yeah, so, everything’s ok though, right? Ok, good. And you packed the bag before, like the book said, right? Ok. Good. _Oh!_ Make sure Carole is wearing blue socks!” (He was quiet for a moment.) “Because the hospital gowns are _blue_ dad, plus it’s good luck. No, I don’t know. It just is… Ok, but, ok… You’re getting in the car now? Oh you can’t talk to me while you’re driving. Oh you finally installed the bluetooth? Oh that’s good. Oh hi Carole, how are you feel— oh I’m sorry that’s a stupid thing to ask…”

Blaine reached out, gently pulling the phone from Kurt’s hand and bringing it to his own face as he wrapped his other arm around a shaking Kurt and whispered, “I got this honey.” He cleared his throat. “Hi Burt, Carole. So this is it, huh? We’re really excited for you! Yeah, no he’ll be fine. He’s hyperventilating a little bit, but don’t worry about him. Thanks for calling. You focus on the road now, Burt. Carole, break a leg, or good luck, or, um, I don’t know what you’re supposed to say to someone in labor.” Blaine went quiet for a moment too, and then he laughed. “Right, ok, well then, you can do it Carole! I’ll book the tickets right now, yeah, we’ll be there tomorrow. We love you both and we can’t wait to meet her! Bye!”

_Oh aren't you proud to be in that fraternity,  
The great big Brotherhood of Man?_

 

—————————————————-—————————————————-  
  
That's it for this week! As always, thank you for reading, reviewing and supporting us! No other episode has had so many helping hands along the way. Thank you to everyone who made this episode possible. 5 more to go!

[ Here's the way over to our Tumblr  
  
](http://gleeseasonfix.tumblr.com/) [Please reblog our chapter if you enjoyed this episode :)](http://gleeseasonfix.tumblr.com/post/118060443311/glee-season-fix-how-to-succeed-in-life-read)

[Here you can reblog/like the stills](http://gleeseasonfix.tumblr.com/post/117934126626/stills-gsf-episode-18-how-to-succeed-in)

 

  
  
  
  
  


Songs

  * Blaine and Ensemble: [Ya Got Trouble](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rroZXCYbqmc&feature=youtu.be&t=11m5s) from The Music Man (Matthew Broderick version)

  * Kurt: [The Music and the Mirror](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOWGG8xABv4)

  * Artie: [Virtual Insanity](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Et9b7LWfnxQ)

  * Mercedes: [Hold My Hand](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RhyDNgS09cU) by Jess Glynne

  * Ensemble: [Brotherhood of Man](https://youtu.be/t4EI-2b-5SI?t=44s) from How To Succeed In Business Without Trying (Darren Criss)





	19. Love Is In The Air

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Spring is in full swing as new babies, new jobs, and new relationships take center stage. Kurt and Blaine visit Lima to meet the new baby before returning to New York for the final wedding arrangements. Artie spends time with a special friend, and Rachel takes a chance on someone. Tina comes to see Mike’s performance and they risk blowing their cover. Puck accompanies Lauren to a match that goes exactly as planned, until it doesn’t. And Mercedes has a birthday present for Sam that he won’t be forgetting any time soon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written by [ gingerfic ](http://archiveofourown.org/users/gingerfic/pseuds/gingerfic) and [ Wowbright ](http://archiveofourown.org/users/wowbright/pseuds/wowbright)  
> Beta by [ HKvoyage ](http://hkvoyage.tumblr.com) and  
> [ alwaysfallingforanidea ](http://alwaysfallingforanidea.tumblr.com/)
> 
>  
> 
> Glee Season Fix (“GSF”) was written independently of spoilers about Glee Season 6. If songs or plots overlap, it’s due to coincidence or nature of the storylines that need resolution. If references pop up, we excuse ourselves for not being able to hold back.
> 
> Like on the show, GSF also includes songs and performances. There are links to full versions of each song, as well as a few pieces of lyrics quoted in the scene. We hope you will enjoy listening as well as reading, but be aware that the written version is shortened, whereas the audio versions are the full songs.
> 
> Also be sure to take a look at this week’s associated one-shot “Baby Girl Hummel Arrives” which takes place between the last episode and this one. [ Find it here. ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/3168407/chapters/8755369)

_**Previously on Glee Season Fix…** _

_Kurt and Blaine are in Ohio visiting Kurt’s new baby sister, but they need to hurry back to New York because their wedding is less than a month away and there are still things to get done!_

_Rachel is in a play and she’s not the lead but she is making friends with people instead of just being a diva all the time so that’s progress._

_Puck and Lauren finally officially started dating, and their relationship may be unexpected or unconventional but that doesn’t stop them from being awfully happy together._

_Tina and Mike have been dating since February but they’ve been keeping it a secret. She’s coming down to see his performance but everybody is going to be there and suddenly this whole secret-relationship thing is getting a lot more complicated._

_Back in Los Angeles, Brittany and Santana are happy with their status quo, but Mercedes has decided it’s time to give Sam a little surprise._

 

 

May 2015

–––––––––––––––––-

The Hudson-Hummel home, Lima, Ohio

–––––––––––––––––-

Blaine turned on [the stereo](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SmE-4XJt2n0) softly and sat down next to Kurt on the couch where he was holding baby Charlotte Elizabeth Hummel in his arms.

_Love is in the air everywhere I look around_

“She’s so beautiful,” Kurt murmured as Blaine cuddled up to him.

“Well, there are remarkably good genes in the family,” Blaine reminded him as he laid his head fondly on Kurt’s shoulder.

_Love is in the air every sight and every sound_

“Have you thought about kids?” Kurt blurted. “My dad just said something last night, and I…”

“Yes,” Blaine stopped Kurt before he could ramble on too far. “Of course I’ve thought about it. I mean, we’ve _talked_ about it before.”

“Yeah, but always in the hypothetical.”

“Being around Charlotte makes me think about it more,” Blaine admitted calmly.

_And I don't know if I'm being foolish Don't know if I'm being wise_

“I mean, obviously it would be irresponsible to think about kids before we are both done with school, and have good jobs, and some money saved up…”

“I agree completely,” Blaine said as he reached over and stroked the baby’s soft hair.

_But it's something that I must believe in And it's there when I look in your eyes_

“I was always kind of scared of babies before,” Kurt confessed. “Is that silly? I mean, they’re tiny and helpless, nobody should be scared of a baby.”

“It’s not silly,” Blaine whispered with a kiss to his neck.

“It just all feels so much more possible now. Like a real thing that could be in our future, instead of just a dream.”

_Love is in the air! Love is in the air!_

\---

Burt and Carole stood in the dining room, watching their son and soon-to-be son-in-law hold their newborn.

“They’re going to be amazing dads one day,” Burt said softly.

“And you’re going to be a doting old grandpa,” Carole replied affectionately.

“I guess that will make you married to an old man,” Burt teased.

“And you’ll be married to a grandma!” she teased back.

“Oh god, don’t say that, it makes me feel old!”

_But you're something that I must believe in And you're there when I reach out for you_

“This kid is going to wear us out you know. We’re not exactly spring chickens anymore.”

“Meh,” Carole made a gesture of blowing him off. “Twenty bucks says that in ten years she’ll have a niece or nephew to play with and maybe then we won’t have to do as much running.”

Burt chuckled. “”I’ll see your twenty bucks, and raise you a trip to Disneyworld that it’s closer to five years, dear. I know my kid. He talks a big game about being too young, but look at him with her. He won’t hold out, and Blaine is right there with him.”

_Love is in the air! Love is in the air!_

–––––––––––––––––-

The Singin’ Alamo, San Antonio, Texas

–––––––––––––––––-

A bottle of Hops & Grain Brewery Altbier came sliding down the bar toward Puck before he even sat down. He caught it in his hand and lifted it up in a toasting motion toward Lauren. “You better be careful where you throw your beer. What if I hadn’t been here to catch it?”

Lauren wiped her hands on a white bar towel and stepped toward him. “I was aiming that beer at you, idiot. I know you like that one.” She leaned across the bar and pecked her Cupid’s-bow lips against Puck’s cheek.

“Is it on the house?” Puck knew it wouldn’t be – Lauren never gave out freebies, even to her boyfriend – but it was fun to bug her by asking, anyway.

“Yup. On the house.”

“You’re kidding me.”

“Nope. I would never kid about a thing like that.”

Puck stared at her, speechless.

Her mouth curled into a pert smile. “I got some good news today. I feel like celebrating.”

“What’s the news?”

“My agent booked me for a match in Las. Frickin. Vegas.”

Puck’s eyes almost bulged out of his head. “Las Vegas? You mean, like, a real match? Pro? With money and everything?”

Lauren nodded. “It’ll pay a lot more than this hell hole does.”

Puck leapt over the bar and threw his arms around his girlfriend. He had in mind to sweep her off her feet, but she beat him to the punch, lifting him up into the air and twirling him in circles as she spun around in joy.

“Wait,” Puck said as Lauren set him back down. “Since when do you have an agent?”

“Oh yeah. That.” She ducked her head for a moment, looked up through her eyelashes in this coy way that made Puck’s heart do somersaults. “That’s the other half of the good news. I have an agent, and this could pan out to be the first of many pro matches.”

Puck curled his hands around either side of Lauren’s jaw and kissed her extravagantly. “I love you.”

Lauren raised a brow, amused. “That escalated quickly.”

“Not really. My feelings for you have been flying higher than a Thunderbolt II for since forever.”

“You haven’t known me forever.”

“I want to, though.”

Lauren studied Puck’s face like it was the key to some sort of mystery. Then she burst out laughing. “Who ever thought Noah Puckerman could be such a romantic?” She kissed him and ignored the customers on the other side of the bar hollering for more beer.

–––––––––––––––––-

An Off-Broadway Theater, New York

–––––––––––––––––-

Rachel sat in the corner of the stage, watching the leads talk to Mr. Zandowski about one of their scenes for the umpteenth time. God, they fought a lot. But god, that guy was… Rachel shook her head to clear her thoughts, took a sharp breath, and grabbed her phone from her bag.

**Rachel to Santana: I need a date-vention**

**Santana to Rachel: A what?**

**Santana: This better be important, I was waxing**

**Rachel: There’s a guy in my cast that I want to ask out but I am really nervous**

**Santana: And you’re texting me about it?**

**Rachel: Nobody can talk people into things like Santana Lopez!**

**Santana: Valid point**

**Santana: So what exactly do you want from me here?**

**Rachel: Talk me into it?**

**Santana: Rachel, ask the guy out**

**Rachel: It’s not that simple**

**Santana: Oh god, how is it not that simple. Walk up to him and say ‘hey wanna get coffee after rehearsal’**

**Rachel: He’s the lead**

**Rachel: He’s so out of my league**

**Santana: You were a lead on Broadway the first time you auditioned for it. He is exactly in your league**

**Rachel: He doesn’t know that**

**Santana: Tell him**

**Santana: Better yet, show him**

**Santana: Just ask him out already. I have one leg waxed and the other not and I’m about to lose my mind.**

**Rachel: What if he says no?**

**Santana: Then you ask out someone else**

**Santana: Or do whatever you have to to make him insanely jealous**

**Rachel: I’m gonna do it**

**Santana: GO!!**

Five minutes later

**Rachel to Santana: omg omg omg**

**Santana to Rachel: What now**

**Rachel: I went to talk to him, and he said he’d been wanting to talk to me, so I let him go first**

**Santana: I can hear you hyperventilating. Just spit it out already**

**Rachel: He asked me to dinner next week**

**Rachel: !!!!!!!**

**Santana: Perfect! So you’re freaking out because why?**

**Rachel: What if there’s something wrong with him?**

**Santana: Well he couldn’t possibly be worse than Brody**

**Santana: Unless he sells his body AND drugs**

**Rachel: I haven’t dated in two years, what if I’m not ready for this?**

**Santana: Weren’t you ready ten minutes ago?**

**Rachel: But that was before it was real. Now I’m nervous.**

**Santana: What the hell?**

**Santana: The minute you get what you want you’re not happy with it anymore? Grow up.**

**Rachel: But a dinner date is serious**

**Santana: No, it’s someone offering to buy you dinner. It’s not a commitment, it’s just a date. If it is horrible, then just think of it as a discount on your monthly grocery bill.**

**Santana: So what is prince charming’s name?**

**Rachel: Julian**

**Rachel: Do you think he’s my prince charming? You’ve only known about him for ten minutes**

**Santana: I think that if he will take you on a date and get you to leave me alone so I can finish waxing then he is very charming**

**Rachel: I’m still nervous. I haven’t dated anyone since Finn died**

**Santana: Julian isn’t Finn, and he isn’t Brody. He’s a new guy, and you’re attracted to him, so go for it. It’s just a date. If it bombs you can go over to Kurt and Blaine’s and they will feed you cake and talk about feelings and crap.**

**Rachel: Right**

**Rachel: Thanks Santana. I knew you were the one to talk to about this**

**Santana: Now go moon over your boy so I can finish waxing**

–––––––––––––––––-

Mike’s apartment, New York City

–––––––––––––––––-

Tina paced back and forth in Mike’s tiny kitchen for a while before forcing herself to sit down. She knew she wouldn’t have to wait very long—that he was coming home right behind her—but she was still impatient. She had just attended the performance of his Hedwig Revue (“featuring all five Hedwigs in one unforgettable concert event”) and it had been amazing. Tina always thought Mike looked good, and she had always loved watching him dance, but the combination of the tight drag outfits, the suggestive dance moves, and the heavy eyeliner had Tina feeling more than a little hot and bothered as she waited for him to get home.

She could have gone backstage to see him after the show, and they could have come back to the apartment together, but this was a one-night show and a lot of his—their—other friends had been there. Tina and Mike still hadn’t told anyone that they were dating, and they had decided that the best way to keep their secret was for Tina to sneak out before anyone could even know that she had been there.

She shifted in her seat and crossed her legs, adjusting her dress. A few moments later she adjusted again, crossing her legs the other way. Then she got up and began pacing again. When Mike pushed the door open a few minutes later, she practically fell into his arms.

“Oh, whoa, Tina, I’m all sweaty, let me shower first!” he grinned as he kicked his shoes off and kissed her lightly before pushing her away.

“You’re hot when you’re sweaty,” she moaned, pressing into him again. “And the eyeliner, god!” She ran a finger along his cheek. “I would say to wear it all the time, but you might have random girls jumping you, so how about you just wear it all the time for me?”

Mike laughed and pushed her away again. “You like me in drag, huh?”

Tina eyed him through her lashes. “You have no idea.”

“Really?!”

“Really.”

“Duly noted!” he grinned and winked. “I really do need a shower though. Blaine, Elliott, and Artie were trying to convince me to come back to the loft to hang out for an informal afterparty but I blew them off and said I was tired and just wanted to shower and go to bed.”

“But not to sleep, I hope?” she teased.

He batted his eyes (and long fake eyelashes) at her. “I’m sure I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Well,” Tina mused, dragging her hand across his chest and slowly circling him. “I guess a shower and a bed sound alright...if I can join you.”

He caught her wrist, pulling her close and bringing their foreheads together. “That was the plan!”

\---

“It kind of sucked tonight,” Mike confessed.

“What?! No, the show was amazing! You were amazing.” Tina rolled up onto her elbow and trailed her fingers up and down his perfectly defined chest and abs.

“It sucked that after the show I had friends coming backstage to see me, but the person I wanted to see the most wasn’t there,” he explained.

“Oh.”

“I mean, I know we decided we wanted to keep things to ourselves for a while, until we were really sure that this was going to work—”

“Um-hmmm.”

“But it is working, Tina.” He sat up, pulling her to sitting as well and taking her hands in his own. “This is working. This is real. We are good together, just like we always have been. We’ve grown and changed but we’re still good together. And I don’t feel like there’s any reason to keep it a secret anymore.” He looked earnestly into her eyes and she met his gaze. “I wanted you backstage tonight more than anything.”

“I think I’m ready for that too,” Tina agreed. “I would have liked to have stood around and watched people praise you and been able to say ‘yeah, that man, he’s very talented, and very hot, and very mine. Back off!’”

Mike laughed and kissed her hand.

“But,” Tina continued, “I think we should still wait a few weeks.”

“Why?”

“Because Kurt and Blaine’s wedding is in less than a month, and this is their time to be in the spotlight, you know? I don’t want to steal their thunder. Let’s let them have their moment. We can tell people after.”

Mike cocked his head to the side. “That seems fair.”

“Also, I don’t want to give them the satisfaction of thinking they got us together.”

“They sort of did,” Mike pointed out.

“No, they didn’t, they just sent us on one date. We already both wanted to get back together,” Tina reminded him. Mike shrugged as she continued. “It was a lovely date though. Maybe we should return the favor.”

“After we admit that we’re dating you mean?”

“Obviously.” She turned and wriggled her way back down into the sheets, patting the bed beside her to encourage him to join her.

“Hmmm.”

“What?”

“But it’s so hot,” he murmured as he slid down next to her, pressing himself into her side.

“The humidity in Rhode Island isn’t this bad,” she agreed.

“No, not that kind of hot!” he chuckled. “I mean the sneaking around. It’s hot. Knowing that we have this huge secret, and that everybody wants to know it, but that it’s just ours.”

“Ooooh,” she murmured as he started kissing along her neck. “Does that mean we have to be quiet then?” she whispered.

“Ha, I’d like to see you try!”

“I can be quiet!” she said indignantly, shoving him away in pretended annoyance.

“Uh-huh,” he smirked.

“Fine. Maybe I can’t. But that’s your fault.”

He shrugged. “I’m ok with that.”

She grinned. “So am I. Now get over here.”

–––––––––––––––––-

Las Vegas, Nevada

–––––––––––––––––-

“Oh my god, look!” Lauren pointed to a 1950s pink Cadillac parked at the edge of the street. Standing next to it was an Elvis impersonator in white satin jumpsuit decked with gold trim. He held out his hand to help a woman in a pink minidress and white veil out of the back seat. The groom, dressed in a black suit and shirt with white tie and fedora, followed her out of the car. “That car is hot!”

“Elvis’ jumpsuit ain’t bad, either. I could totally rock that look.”

Lauren turned and eyed Puck. “You totally could.”

It was their second night in Vegas, but their first night enjoying all it had to offer. They’d gotten there the morning of her match, and Puck’s efforts at helping her get ready for the match had annoyed Lauren so much that she’d kicked him out of the gym. “It’s sweet that you want to help, but you’re my boyfriend, Puck, not my hired assistant. And you don’t actually know what you’re doing. So why don’t you go watch a strip show or something until it’s time for my match? They’re saving you a front row seat.” She gave him a peck on the lips and a slap on the ass, then shooed him out the door.

Puck didn’t go to a strip show. It’s not that he’d become a prude since he started dating Lauren. It was just that looking at other women was kind of, well, boring. Sure, he could still appreciate a well-maintained cougar on an aesthetic level, but he just didn’t have the drive to shag them – or to jerk off to thoughts of shagging them – anymore. Why would he, when he got to look at Lauren every day. Even in clothes – and she was unfortunately _always_ in clothes – she made his motor rumble like no one else.

His heart went pitter-patter when she stepped out into the ring that night, decked in a shiny new satin robe with “Our Lady of Pain” and an image of a Madonna-like figure holding an alligator in a [camel clutch](http://www.google.com/url?q=http%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FProfessional_wrestling_holds%23Camel_clutch&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFQjCNHWgAfDCkF8Bfvw7VlhbERrS2JEMg). It thudded when she dropped the robe from her shoulders to reveal a new blue jumpsuit decorated in Byzantine-style silver scrolls. Her cleavage was way deeper than her opponents, but of course Puck appreciated Lauren for more than that.

She’d refused to tell Puck what the outcome of the match would be, though he figured she’d probably lose since this was her first big match and she was going against babyface Dakota Angel, a longtime fan favorite. Ever since the 1990s, it had been public knowledge that all pro-wrestling matches were scripted, with the winner and loser determined ahead of time. “Does that ever bug you?” Puck had asked her once.

She’d rolled her eyes at him. “Of course it doesn’t bug me. If we fought for real, someone would end up with a broken spine every other match. Don’t think about it like football. Think about it like dancing. The point in dancing isn’t who wins and who loses. It’s the story you tell with your body.”

The crowd went wild for Our Lady of Pain. Even though she was clearly positioned as the supervillain, she’d gotten them to eat out of the palm of her hand. When Dakota Angel stood victorious at the end, the crowd actually booed. Chants of “Our Lady” filled the pavilion. Afterward, Lauren’s agent told her he’d already received offers for a half dozen more matches. She and Puck celebrated with a single drink at the hotel lounge before she’d collapsed into bed and slept for 12 hours straight.

Which was fine. They’d spent the entire day after celebrating instead: losing a few cheap rounds of roulette, bungee jumping off the top of the Stratosphere Casino & Tower, flying over Freemont Street on the [SlotZilla zip line](http://vegasexperience.com/slotzilla-zip-line/), indoor skydiving, and now a sunset stroll along the Las Vegas Strip to watch the flashy casino signs light up the night.

“I always thought that if I ever got married, that’s how I’d want to do it: zero guests, and a fat old Elvis impersonator singing the vows,” said Lauren, her eye still on the pink Cadillac. “My cousin just had a 300-guest monstrosity and she said planning it took almost all the fun out of getting married.”

“I know, right?” Puck squeezed Lauren’s hand. “I mean, I guess some people are up for that stuff – Kurt and Blaine probably cream their jeans picking color schemes and place settings – but that’s totally not my ball game. All that planning and money for just one day? If you want to get hitched, just get hitched.”

“Totally! I’m so glad you’re not into that stuff. If we ever get married, let’s just hire a justice of the peace or Elvis, then spend all the money we saved on the honeymoon.”

“Where would you want to go?”

Lauren shrugged. “Vegas is pretty fun.”

“Yeah. It is. But you wouldn’t want, like, Paris or Tahiti? Maybe Cancún?”

“Too many college brats in Cancún. They’d ruin it. Besides, you have to fly to all those places. I’d rather drive. Catch the scenery there and on the way back, you know? It would help with re-entry into the real world when it was over.”

“We drove.”

“Huh?”

“To Vegas. We drove to Vegas.”

“Yeah. I’m glad. You’re the best road-trip buddy I’ve ever had. I should invite you on my honeymoon. You’d make it one hundred percent better.” She gave him a mischievous wink.

“Or… if you started your honeymoon tonight, you wouldn’t have to invite me. Since I’m already here.”

Lauren looked up toward the sky. Her unfocused eyes shifted first east, then west, as if she was using them to turn over thoughts inside her head. The lights of the Flamingo Casino sparkled in her pupils like multicolored gemstones. “That really would make things easier, wouldn’t it? If I just got married tonight and turned the rest of my time in Las Vegas into a honeymoon. Saves me from coming out here twice. And there’d be absolutely none of that dreadful wedding planning.”

“You’d be a fool not to jump at the chance.”

“Who you calling a fool, Puckerman?”

“No one. Just pointing out that you’re not one.”

Lauren gave a confident nod. “Nope. I’m definitely not.” Then, her expression going suddenly soft. “And neither are you. Sounds like we should get married tonight. What do you say?”

“ _[If you’re willing, I’ll be wonderful](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVP173owEmc),_ ” Puck sang, taking Lauren by the hand and twirling her in the middle of the sidewalk. Passersby parted like waves around them.

_Suddenly it seems that ain't nobody gonna take away this thing we got going._

Lauren took both his hands before leading him into a another spin.

_Ain't no one is changing my mind ‘cause I know we got it._

Some of the passersby stopped to watch them, hooting and hollering when Puck belted out the high notes. But Puck couldn’t hear them. He was singing for Lauren alone. He wanted to make the smile on her face last forever.

_All I gotta do is believe in you and all the world becomes possibilities. If you're willing, I'll be wonderful._

There was clapping as Puck sang the last note. A few people handed him dollar bills. Another asked where they could get his album. He laughed. “That song’s for my sweetheart, not you douchebags.” The crowd dispersed in a flash.

“Just promise me one thing,” Lauren said as they walked hand-in-hand toward the nearest chapel.

“What’s that?”

“When we get married tonight, you’ll wear one of those Elvis jumpsuits. I’m pretty sure they rent them out at all the chapels, and I always thought you’d look hot in one.”

“Anything for you, my hunka hunka burnin’ love.”

–––––––––––––––––-

A Nice Restaurant, New York City

–––––––––––––––––-

“You must be Artie Abrams.” The young woman flashed a friendly smile.

“How did you ever guess? It was my glasses, wasn’t it? Or was it the aura of allure I exude?”

She looked amused – a good sign. “I hate to break it to you, but it was the wheelchair.”

“Oh, yeah. That’s kind of a dead giveaway, isn’t it?” Artie rolled around the table to pull her chair out for her. “And I assume you’re Persephone.”

“Yup. If I’d worn a nametag, _that_ would have been a dead giveaway. Not many people with that name.” She tucked her skirt to the back of her thighs as she sat down. Artie swooned.

“Well then, I guess we both stand out in a crowd.” He held up his water glass. “To blind dates.”

She clinked her glass to his before taking a sip. “Does it count as a blind date if I’ve seen your Halo avatar a million times? It seems like that should count for something.”

“True,”Artie said. “I have to say though, I’m glad you don’t look like your Halo character.”

Persephone raised an eyebrow. “Why? I think she’s pretty hot.”

“She is. But I find that first dates usually go better when neither of the parties have ammunition belts draped across their chests.”

“I would have worn it if I’d brought along my M247H, but this establishment doesn’t allow firearms. Anyway, I’ve seen enough combat for today.” She took a sip of her water. “Sorry I killed you last night, by the way.”

“No problem. It happens. Your strategy was stronger than mine, anyway.”

“At least you’re still alive in real life.” She assessed him with her eyes. “It would have been a shame to miss out on this date. You’re cuter than I thought you’d be.”

“I’m not sure if that’s a compliment.”

Persephone laughed. “Well, I pretty much imagined you as _your_ avatar. Which basically means a faceless dude in body armor.”

“Hmmmm … So I’m cuter than a reflective face shield, is what you’re saying? That’s some high praise.”

Artie and Persephone continued to talk as comfortably as old friends-cum-flirtation-buddies, their patter interrupted only by the waiter taking their food orders, and later delivering their foods. The only problem was that when Artie talked a lot, he tended to drink a lot, too – and even though he was only drinking water, after a while it seemed wise to go visit the bathroom.

On his way out of the men’s room, he unexpectedly ran into a familiar face. “Fancy meeting you here, Rachel.”

Rachel was in a black minidress, cropped green cardigan and high heels so tall Artie got phantom pain in his calves just looking at them. “I’m on a _first date,”_ she whispered conspiratorially.

“What a coincidence. I am too. Is it going okay? ‘Cause if not, I can totally send you a text about a fake emergency to get you out of it.”

Rachel held her phone up. The screen was dark. Even the sleep mode light was off. “Actually, I’m having a really good time, so I turned my phone off. Didn’t want anything to interrupt us.”

“Ooh la la,” said Artie, waggling his eyebrows. “It _is_ going well.”

Rachel swatted his shoulder. “Don’t tease me, Artie. I’ve only just started to relax after being a nervous wreck about this all day.”

“So I shouldn’t ask when the wedding is?”

“No. I’m just …” She took a deep, satisfied breath. “... enjoying myself. I guess I didn’t expect dating to go so smoothly after my long dry spell, you know?”

“Yeah, I do.” Artie nodded. “Speaking of which, I should get going before my date wonders if I flushed myself down the toilet.”

“Oh, me too.”

“But since we’re both on the market now, maybe you and I should go on a date sometime.”

“Very funny,” Rachel said with a kiss to the top of Artie’s head. “Now go. Have fun!”

\---

“Who ever knew that meeting a fellow Halo combatant in real life could be so much fun?” Artie said as they left the restaurant. “Especially after you gunned me down and left me for dead.”

“I promise,” Persephone said, holding three fingers up in a Scout salute, “I never do that to my friends in real life.”

“Only to your enemies?”

“I can’t reveal what I do on my secret missions,” she said in a tone that made Artie wonder if she really was joking.

They were nearing the subway station that would take Persephone home. Artie’s was in the opposite direction, but he thought it best to be a gentleman and escort her, regardless of whether she was going to invite him back to her place.

As if she’d read his mind, she said, “If you’re expecting an invitation back to my place, you should know that I don’t put out on the first date.”

“That’s a good policy. I recently adopted a ‘don’t put out _before_ the first date’ rule myself.”

Persephone laughed. “I’m glad we got that all cleared up. But just to be even clearer,” she said, bending down until she was almost eye-to-eye with him, “I don’t think it’s always necessary to wait until the third date.” She moved in then to plant a dizzying kiss on Artie’s lips.

It took a moment for Artie’s head to clear after she pulled away. When he regained consciousness, he found her standing up again, an amused look on her face. “So how do you feel about a second date?”

“I’m definitely down for that.”

–––––––––––––––––-

Las Vegas

–––––––––––––––––-

Puck was dressed in a black jumpsuit bedazzled with red and blue plastic gemstones in the shape of a phoenix. Lauren wore the same dress she’d already had on for their night out: a sexy purple minidress with three-quarter sleeves and a rhinestone belt.

“Marriage happens because we can’t help falling in love. It Is a promise to communicate and to share, and to never leave each other at the Heartbreak Hotel,” said a young Elvis Presley dressed in slim black pants, a gold lamé bolero and skinny necktie. The impersonator’s neatly squared sideburns ran halfway down his jaw, and his gravity-defying black hair was swooped up at least as high as Kurt Hummel’s.

An image of Kurt as an Elvis impersonator flashed into Puck’s mind and he started to giggle.

Elvis didn’t blink. At these kinds of weddings, giggle fits were probably par for the course. “Do you, Noah Puckerman, take Lauren Zizes to be your lawfully wedded wife, promising never to step on her blue suede shoes and to be her lovin’ teddy bear?”

“I do.”

“And do you, Lauren Zizes, take Noah Puckerman to be your lawfully wedded husband, to love him tender, and not leave him cryin’ like a hounddog?”

“I do.”

“With the power vested in me by Clark County and the state of Nevada, I now pronounce you partners in marriage. You may now break the glass.” Elvis set a wine glass, wrapped in a large cloth napkin, on the floor in front of Puck. In choosing to get married by Elvis, Puck had thrown almost every Jewish wedding custom out the window. But he couldn’t let go of this one. It just didn’t feel like a wedding without the sound of breaking glass.

The glass was thin. It made a loud popping sound as his foot came down on it, followed but the high-pitched ringing of shards collapsing on each other. To Puck, they seemed to be singing: “As this glass shatters, so may your marriage never break."

As Lauren threw her arms around Puck and kissed him, Elvis picked up his guitar and sang, with swiveling hips and to tune of “[Jailhouse Rock](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gj0Rz-uP4Mk)”:

_Mazel tov, everybody, mazel tov! Marriage is real fine stuff, so sing with me ‘Mazel tov!’_

Lauren and Puck couldn’t imagine a finer wedding.

–––––––––––––––––-

Quinn’s dorm building, Yale Campus, Connecticut

–––––––––––––––––-

“Hey, how have you been?” Quinn balanced the phone between her ear and shoulder as she dropped the last of her clothes into the washing machine and set the buttons to start her load of laundry.

“Pretty good,” Tina’s voice came from the other end of the call. “I mean the last couple of weeks of the semester are always stressful, but you were right when you said that it gets easier to manage over time. I was such a wreck my first couple of semesters, but now it’s just one more thing in the routine.”

“I know, right?” Quinn set her empty laundry basket on top of the machine to mark which one was hers, and headed back upstairs to her dorm room.

“How about you? What do you have going on?

“Oh just the same old stuff it’s been all semester,” Quinn shrugged as she unlocked her room and went in. “Economics is complicated stuff, but it’s fascinating too. And it’s really helping me have a better sense of what I can actually do to make a difference for women once I start practicing law.”

“I thought you couldn’t do pre-law there?”

“Oh I can’t,” Quinn confirmed. “There isn’t a pre-law major here. But I can still go to law school if I can get a good internship this summer. I’ve started working on a few applications. I’m sure something will work out, even if I have to spend the summer reading land use briefs, it will be a stepping stone toward what I eventually want.”

“Right,” Tina agreed. “I get that. I’ve spent so much of this year feeling like I’m floundering, but it’s finally coming together.”

“Well that’s a good thing, since you’re going to have to declare a major by the end of the year aren’t you?”

Tina laughed. “Yep!”

“I’ve been really involved with the Pre-Law Society,” Quinn continued. “I’m making some good connections there.”

“Any loooove connections?” Tina teased.

Quinn laughed. “Nope. There are some cute guys, and we have all gone out socially a few times, but always as a group. I’m not dating anybody right now and I think that’s good. I had some pretty unhealthy relationship habits there for a while, and I think I’m detoxing nicely but I don’t feel the need to jump into anything new yet.”

“Being single was really good for me too,” Tina agreed.

“Was?” Quinn raised an eyebrow, even though she knew Tina couldn’t see it.

“Is, of course,” Tina stammered. “It’s good to have that time to figure things out and—”

“You’ve started dating someone!” Quinn squeaked. “Why didn’t you tell me! How long has this been going on?”

“Um—” Tina tried to stall.

“Honey, you being tongue-tied right now pretty much proves that I’m right, so you might as well stop trying to hide it from me.”

“We didn’t want to tell anyone yet. Oh god, Quinn, you can’t tell anyone.”

“Why would I tell someone your news? And why would you keep something like this a secret? Is there something wrong with him?”

“Well,” Tina was still stalling.

“Spit it out, girl!” Quinn encouraged. “You know I won’t judge you. Well, ok, if you met in a kinky bondage club or something I might judge a little bit…”

“Oh my god, Quinn, no!” Tina blurted. “It’s nothing like that! It’s just that we’ve been talking for so long, and then we finally decided to try dating, and—”

“It’s Mike, isn’t it,” Quinn said. It wasn’t really a question. It didn’t need to be.

“Yes,” Tina squeaked.

“Why wouldn’t you just tell me?”

“We wanted to wait a while,” Tina explained. “So many people have been saying we should get together for so long, and we know they’re going to make a big deal about it when we tell them, so we just didn’t want to say anything yet. We wanted some time to just be us, without everyone else looking in and commenting about it.”

“Alright,” Quinn said simply.

“Alright?”

“Alright,” Quinn repeated. “I won’t spill the beans. I’ve had secrets before. I won’t give away yours. But please don’t drag this out too long. And please, when you do tell people, do it in public so I can see their reactions? Because this is going to be hilarious.”

Tina groaned. “Don’t tell me that!”

–––––––––––––––––-

A parking lot, Los Angeles

–––––––––––––––––-

“Was the blindfold really necessary?” Sam asked as Mercedes carefully led him across the parking lot. “I’m afraid I’m going to trip on something.”

“You’ll be fine you big scaredy cat,” Mercedes chuckled. “There’s a curb here, step up.”

“You made me put it on at _home_ ,” he whined. “My eye itches!”

“Sorry, babe,” she said (not sounding sorry at all). “I promise it’s worth it though. I just didn’t want you to see where we were driving to or it would ruin the surprise.”

“I know it’s my birthday, but maybe—oh!” he interrupted himself as she led him through a door and he noticed the smell. “Oh god, where are we? This smells like a back alley—”

“Just wait another minute babe,” she assured him. Stand right here, I need to talk to someone for a second.”

Sam shuffled his feet impatiently. Mercedes had clearly been very excited about this big surprise she had planned for him, but she had refused to give him any hints at all. They had driven almost an hour from their apartment and he genuinely had no idea where he was. Except it didn’t smell very clean at all, and if Mercedes had a surprise for him here, well, Sam was very confused.

A warm hand slid back into his. “Ok, come this way!” she told him cheerfully.

Sam followed her through another door (the smell was even stronger here. It smelled like urine and something else he couldn’t quite place). Just as he felt her hands on his face—gently untying the blindfold—he heard it: barking.

“Oh my god Mercedes, you brought me to—”

“Sam Evans, a year ago you wanted a dog, and I said no. But we’re in a different place now, and I _did_ promise you that someday we could have one. So today we’re here to pick out a dog. Happy birthday babe!” She stretched up on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek.

Sam stood slack-jawed and staring. “Mercedes,” he whispered. “I don’t even know what to say!”

“You say ‘thank you,’ and maybe ‘I love you’ or ‘you are an awesome girlfriend,’ and then you pick out a dog, silly!” She pulled him toward a pen with a mangy little mutt in it. “That one reminds me a little of McConaughey. I do think we should stick with a small breed. I got our apartment manager’s permission and paid a pet deposit already, but I don’t think we have enough room for one of those big guys.” She gestured to an area with several very large dogs. “But there’s also—”

She was cut off when Sam pulled her into a hug, lifted her into the air and spun her around, and then kissed her soundly.

“The birthday when you asked me out to prom used to be my best birthday,” he informed her quietly. “But this one totally just blew it out of the water.”

–––––––––––––––––-

Laguardia Airport, New York City

–––––––––––––––––-

Kurt turned his phone back on as the plane landed. It immediately started buzzing in his hand. Twice, three times... Someone had sent him multiple texts while they had been in the air on their flight from Ohio back to New York City. Kurt glanced at the screen to see who it was, and was surprised to see four new messages from Puck of all people.

**Puck to Kurt: hey bro**

**Puck: I hope it’s ok to call you bro. Cuz like Finn was my bro and he was your bro so that kinda makes you my bro too**

**Puck: Anyway I have news**

**Puck:**  [](http://de.tinypic.com?ref=fc7gk7)

Kurt blinked a few times, turning his phone back and forth twice before hastily tapping out a response.

**Kurt to Puck: What am I supposed to be seeing here?**

**Puck: What does it look like?**

**Kurt: That you killed someone and took their jewelry?**

**Puck: I got married!**

**Kurt: What?**

Blaine looked over at Kurt with concern as they unbuckled and stood up. “Everything ok?”

Kurt rapidly nodded. “Yeah, Puck is pulling some kind of prank I think, but I haven’t figured out the punchline yet.”

Blaine shrugged as he reached into the overhead compartment to get their carry-on suitcases. This had been a short trip and Blaine had convinced Kurt to travel light and save the extra baggage fee. “It’s Puck. It may not have a punchline.”

Kurt was tapping on the screen again. “Yeah, well, I’m going to call him on it.

“I’ll get your bag for you then?”

“Thanks.” Kurt flashed him a grin.

**Kurt: To who?**

**Kurt: Whom?!**

**Kurt: I didn’t know you had a girlfriend**

**Puck: Lauren**

**Kurt: ?**

**Puck: Zizes**

**Kurt: No way**

**Kurt: You’re dating Lauren? I haven’t heard from her in years.**

**Puck: I’m hurt. I updated my facebook relationship status and everything**

**Kurt: I’ve been busy. I haven’t been on facebook in over a month**

**Puck: Ah, well, your loss**

**Puck:**  [](http://de.tinypic.com?ref=rk24vm)

Kurt almost tripped as they walked down the concourse toward the exit.

Blaine squinted at him. “What?”

“He’s not kidding.”

“What?”

Kurt showed Blaine the screen.

“Wow, I did not see that coming,” Blaine agreed.

**Kurt: you’re not kidding**

**Puck: Nope**

**Kurt: OMG Puck!!**

**Kurt: I’ve been engaged for two years and you have been dating for two minutes and you got married before me.**

**Puck: I know. Why do you think I told you first?!**

**Kurt: When did this happen?**

**Puck: Three days ago**

**Kurt: Where are you?**

**Puck: On some lonely highway about two hours outside Las Vegas**

**Kurt: OMG**

**Kurt: Please at least tell me Lauren is driving while you’re texting**

–––––––––––––––––-

Mercedes’ car, Los Angeles

–––––––––––––––––-

“What are you going to name her?” Mercedes called into the back of the car. The back seat was covered with a towel for the dog, and Sam was riding there too because he couldn’t bear the thought of the Yorkshire-something mutt sitting by herself on her first car ride away from the pound. “McConaughey Two?”

“Nah. She looks kind of like McConaughey, but you know who she looks like even more like?”

“Those Ewoks from _Return of the Jedi?_ ”

“No way. Her face isn’t flat enough.”

“Who then?”

“[Chewbacca](https://www.google.com/search?q=chewbacca+dog&espv=2&biw=1295&bih=872&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=L5ZLVd-GNYzvoAS-pICgBA&ved=0CB0QsAQ).”

The dog’s ears perked up and she raised her front paw to rest it on Sam’s thigh.

“You like that name, Chewbacca?”

She wagged her tail.

“Alright then, Chewbacca it is.”

Chewbacca let out a satisfied thigh and lowered her head to Sam’s lap.

“You’re a cuddler, aren’t you, Chewbacca?”

The dog responded by licking Sam’s jeans.

“Good girl, Chewbacca. You’re a good dog.”

“Hey, Sam,” Mercedes said.

“Yeah?”

“Pretty soon you’ll be sweet-talking Chewbacca more than you sweet-talk me, won’t you?” Mercedes smiled at Sam in the rearview mirror.

“Uh-oh. You getting jealous up there?”

“Nah,” said Mercedes. “Just don’t get mixed up and start calling me ‘good dog,’ and Chewbacca and I will be a-ok.”

–––––––––––––––––-

Kim & Young Tailors, New York City

–––––––––––––––––-

Kurt, Blaine and Isabelle Wright walked through the front door of Kim & Young, Tailors, for the grooms’ final tuxedo fitting. Kurt knew he would think Blaine looked dashing no matter how well his tux fit, and Blaine felt the same about Kurt, so he’d asked Isabelle to come along to provide a second opinion. Isabelle had jumped at the opportunity. “I _love_ giving my opinion on clothing, you know that,” she’d said with a smile. “Besides, I’ve been wanting to do _something_ to help you get ready for your wedding.”

Jane Young burst into a smile when she saw the trio walk into her shop. “You gentlemen didn’t tell me your were bringing Isabelle Wright with you!” She shook hands with Kurt and Blaine, then hugged Isabelle like an old friend. Then Kurt remembered that they _were_ old friends. When Isabelle had recommended Kim & Young, she’d mentioned that she and Jane had gone to high school together.

“Hello, Jane. Great to see you!” Isabelle kissed Jane on each cheek. “Sorry, it’s been so long, I’ve been drowning at work, but let me tell you, none of my clothes fit as well as they should. In fact –” The front door swung open again and in came their driver with two large garment bags, a task for which Isabelle had offered a generous tip. “– I thought I’d go ahead and bring some of the worst cases today. Easy alterations. Nothing you need to do a live fitting for, obviously, or I would have made my own appointment. I hope that’s okay?”

The taxi driver draped the bags over the front counter and put his hand out for his tip. Isabelle put a twenty-dollar bill in his hand and he left with a smile on his face.

“Of course it’s okay,” Jane said. “I love working on your clothes. It’s always a matter of making beautiful even better, instead of making the best out of the monstrosities that some people bring in.”

“Oh!” Isabelle reached into her purse and pulled out a small gift bag. “Some goodies from my last trip to Paris. I remembered how much you liked those chocolates from Debauve & Gallais. And I threw in some of the new lipstick shades from Coco Chanel.”

“Debauve & Gallais?” Jane said with wide eyes. “I’ll work on your stuff write now. Forget these guys. Wedding, shmedding.” She gave Kurt and Blaine a playful wink.

“Don’t mind Jane,” Isabelle said to the boys in a mock whisper. “She’s more sarcastic than Kurt.”

Kurt smiled. “I know. Jane and I bonded by making fun of the interior design schemes on _Real Housewives of Beverly Hills_ during our first fitting.”

Jane walked Kurt, Blaine and Isabelle to the fitting room in the back and walked the grooms through the alterations she had made. Kurt and Blaine had each chosen their tuxes eons ago. Today was just for final fittings.

“Isabelle and I will leave you two alone for a few minutes while you change. You can step behind the dressing screens if you need some privacy from each other.”

“They shouldn’t have left us alone together,” Kurt said a few minutes later as they checked out themselves—and each other—in front of the floor-length mirrors.

“No? Why not? It’s not bad luck to be seeing each other in our tuxes before the wedding, is it?”

“No, not bad luck.” Kurt turned to face Blaine, his eyes trailing slowly from Blaine’s shoulders to ankles, then back up. He bit his lower lip. With the breathiness of someone who had just catapulted a flight of stairs, he said,“It’s just that you’re rather ... _irresistible_ in that tux.”

Blaine blushed and ducked his head. “You should see yourself. You’re… ravishing.”

“Ravishing?” Kurt raised a flirtatious eyebrow and made a half-turn to check himself out in the full-length mirror. He lifted the back of his jacket and patted his butt with one hand. “I don’t know. My ass is nothing compared to yours.”

Blaine broke out into a lopsided smile, “I wouldn’t say that. They each have their merits.”

Kurt reached for Blaine’s tie and tugged him forward until they were chest-to-chest. “We should probably make out now. Just to make sure that the suits, you know, adapt to our movements.”

Blaine reached up, his hands cupping Kurt’s jaw, and pulled him into a deep kiss. Kurt’s hands had started to tremble against Blaine’s waist. “When you are close to me I shiver,” Kurt whispered against Blaine’s lips.

“That’s what I was going for,” Blaine said with a satisfied grin.

“But maybe we should stop. Because I kind of want to rip your clothes off right now, and I really should try not to damage your tuxedo until _after_ the wedding.”

“You’re probably right.” Blaine lowered his hands from Kurt’s jaw and made a half-step back so he could no longer feel the thumping in Kurt’s chest. “Should we dance? That might burn off some of our, um, energy.”

Kurt smiled and took Blaine’s hand. “Brilliant idea. And I know just the song for the occasion.” He put his other hand on Blaine’s waist and began leading him around the room as he sang in a high, clear voice:

_You grip your hands around my throat You strip the buttons off my coat I choose the methods I do best Thump, thump, the thumping in your chest_

Blaine laughed with a joy that made his eyes crinkle. “And this song is supposed to make us _less_ horny?” Nonetheless, he joined in on the chorus.

_When you are close to me I shiver._

Kurt spun Blaine out like a top, then pulled him back in so that they were both facing in the same direction, Blaine’s back to Kurt’s chest.

_Please check your clothing at the door_

The contact was making things a little too hot, so Kurt shifted the dance into something more playful. He set one hand at the small of Blaine’s back and dipped him toward the floor.

_You always leave me wanting more_

Blaine let out a little “whee!” of delight as his head dipped toward the floor. He’d told Kurt once it was his favorite dance move because it felt like being on a roller coaster ride. It felt like falling in love.

_Shall we get intimate again?_

The door of the fitting room swung open. “Oh, excuse me!” said the startled tailor. “I didn’t mean to interrupt.” Isabelle just smiled knowingly, as if she’d expected to find them like this all along.

“That’s okay,” Blaine said, still swinging to the beat in his head. “We’re decent.”

“Just let us finish up the last verse,” Kurt said.

Blaine smiled at them. “Feel free to watch.”

Kurt suppressed a giggle as they sang the last lines.

_When you are close to me I shiver._

Isabelle and Jane applauded as the final note faded in the air. “I’ve never been treated to a live cabaret performance in my fitting room before!” Jane said with an appreciative laugh.

“Well,” Blaine said, “we had to make sure the suits felt right when we were dancing, since we’ll be wearing them to the reception.”

“I’ll start recommending that to all my clients.”

Jane had each of the grooms stand still and go through a series of arm raises, leg raises, and other poses that might have been ripped from Alain Marceau’s NYADA master class in the art of miming. She made a few marks as Isabelle nodded approvingly.

“You guys look amazing. You’re going to be the two most handsome grooms on New York’s social scene this year.”

“I don’t think either of us has reached a level of name recognition to count as part of New York’s social scene yet, Isabelle,” said Kurt.

“Well, fine. The day will come soon enough. Speaking of which, do you guys want to go for dinner at Le Cirque after we finish up here? I made reservations when I thought Aisha Bonali would still be in town, but since she’s in Beverly Hills now, it’s not like she can come.”

“Le Cirque?” Kurt’s eyes went wide. Le Cirque was one of those places he aspired to eat at one day—perhaps in a decade or two, when he might finally be able to afford it.

“Oh,” said Isabelle. “Do you have to work at the diner tonight?”

Jane was working on Blaine’s hem at the moment, so Kurt was free to bounce on his toes with joy. “Nope. Now that I’m writing the column for you, I was finally able to quit that hell hole!”

Isabelle smiled. “Then we should definitely celebrate.”

Blaine squeezed Kurt’s hand. “There’s nothing I’d enjoy more.”

–––––––––––––––––-

Brittany and Santana’s Apartment

–––––––––––––––––-

 _“Ya está!”_ Santana sighed as she made a few final clicks on the Travelociraptor.com transaction page. “We have our tickets to New York.”

“Awesome.” Brittany looked up from the full-sized papier-mache model of a unicorn she was working on as a wedding gift for Kurt and Blaine. “Did you remember to reserve a seat for Chestnut Darling Moon?” That was the name of the unicorn. “Chestnut” was in honor of Kurt’s hair, “Darling” in honor of the love that Kurt and Blaine shared, and “Moon” in honor of Blaine’s round buttcheeks.

“I tried to, but the site wouldn’t let me,” said Santana. “He has to go on as special luggage. I’m sorry.”

“That’s okay. He _is_ special,” Brittany said as she painted a red stripe onto the unicorn’s rainbow horn. “I’ll just have to pack him some extra Skittles for the journey since he won’t be able to order a la carte.”

Santana walked over and stood behind Brittany, wrapping her arms around Brittany’s waist as Brittany continued to paint. “Chestnut Darling Moon is going to be the best present Kurt and Blaine get by far. You’re so talented, Brittany.” Santana kissed her girlfriend’s cheek.

“Well, I can’t take all the credit,” said Brittany, rinsing out her brush and moving on to orange. “Lord and Lady Tubbington did the papier mache part. I’m only doing the painting.”

“Still.”

Brittany set down her brush on the stool where she was storing her paints and water. She wrapped her hands around Santana’s forearms and leaned back against her. “Santana?”

“Yeah?”

“Do you want to get married?”

Santana stiffened. She hadn’t been expecting their conversation to take this direction. Of course, left turns and roundabouts were part of almost every conversation with Brittany. That’s why Santana loved her. “I haven’t really thought about it, actually. Why, do you?”

“I don’t know. It’s just that Kurt and Blaine helped me feel brave in high school. And they helped you, too. And I feel like, if they’re getting married, maybe we should too. So people know we’re not ashamed of our love.”

“I’m not sure that’s the best reason to get married.”

“What is, then?”

“Because you want to make a commitment to another person. Because you want them to know that you love them more than anything else in the world, and you’ll do your best to keep loving them and not run away scared when things get hard. Because you want to share your life with that person.”

Brittany turned around in Santana’s arms. She lifted her hands to Santana’s cheeks, accidentally smearing splotches of paint on her skin. Santana didn’t mind. She could wash off the paint later. “We’re already doing those things,” Brittany said. “We already love each other no matter what.”

Santana’s eyes prickled. “Yeah. Pretty much.”

“Good.” Brittany pressed a kiss to Santana’s mouth. “Because I don’t think I want to get married.”

“No?”

“You’re not mad, are you?”

Santana shook her head. “No. I’m just – I guess I’d like to keep the option open.”

Brittany took her hand and led her to the couch. They sat down thigh-to-thigh, hand-in-hand. “It’s just that I’ve been married before, and it wasn’t all that great.”

“Wait. When?” Santana sputtered.

“To Sam. My senior year of high school. When we thought the Mayan apocalypse was near. You don’t remember?”

“Oh yeah. I did know that. I guess I got so jealous that I sort of blocked it out.”

“Well, you didn’t need to be jealous. I mean, I don’t regret marrying Sam, but I’m glad it wasn’t a legal wedding because I was already tired of it after four days, and I broke up with him a few months later. Just because two people get married doesn’t mean it’s meant to last.”

“I guess it doesn’t.”

“But I think we’re meant to last. And I don’t need to wear a white dress, or have Coach Beiste holding mistletoe over our heads and telling us to kiss, in order for me to know that. You’re my best friend, Santana. Marrying you wouldn’t make what we have any better. I love you more than I’ve ever loved anybody, and I’m so happy that I get to share my life with you.”

“Brittany.” Santana blinked back tears.

“Oh, sweetie, I didn’t mean to make you cry.”

“That’s ok, _querida._ They’re happy tears. I just get overwhelmed by how perfect you are for me.”

“Aw,” said Brittany. “And you for me. Here, I know the perfect lesbian love song to put a smile on your face.” Brittany stood up from the couch and pulled Santana with her, leading her in a slow dance around Chestnut Darling Moon and [singing](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hj0yVN8pFNw):

_We’re ok, we’re fine. Baby I'm here to stop your crying._

Santana smiled in recognition and began to harmonize, looking into Brittany’s eyes:

_I'm stronger than the monster beneath your bed, Smarter than the tricks played on your heart._

Santana rested her head on Brittany’s shoulder as they continued to sway.

_Look at them together then we'll take them apart. Adding up the total of a love that's true, Multiply life by the power of two._

“The Indigo Girls are unicorns, just like Kurt and Blaine,” said Brittany as they sank down on the couch together. “Oh!” She tilted suddenly forward, her hands covering her mouth.

“You okay, hon? Did I leave my nail file on the couch?” Santana reached behind Brittany to feel for whatever she must have sat on.

“No. I just had the most brilliant inspiration.”

“Oh,” said Santana, relaxing. “Of course you did. You’re a genius.”

“I’ve known something was off about Chestnut Darling Moon, but I only just figured it out. He’s not a _white_ unicorn. His coat should be indigo, with golden hooves. No wonder Lord and Lady Tubbington haven’t talked to me for the past three days. They must be furious over how I’ve painted him so far – except for the rainbow mane, of course. All gay unicorns have rainbow manes.”

“I love you, Brittany.”

–––––––––––––––––-

The Loft, New York City

–––––––––––––––––-

“Turn please,” Kurt mumbled around a mouthful of pins. Rachel dutifully turned a little bit, reaching up to scratch her shoulder as she did so.

“No, you can’t raise your arms, it’ll throw off the hemline I’m trying to mark!” Kurt reminded her. She dropped her hands to her sides again and he put a few more pins along the bottom edge of the yellow fabric.

“Ok, I think we’re good.” He stood back, putting the remaining pins back in the box and walking slowly around her. “Does it feel good? Good fashion should always feel good as well as looking amazing.”

“Kurt, when you said you were designing my best maid’s dress I told you I trusted you, and I stand by that,” Rachel smiled at him as he turned the full-length mirror so she could inspect herself. “Nothing off the rack would have looked this good.”

“Well obviously,” Kurt grinned. “But this shouldn’t just be ‘better than off the rack;’ it should be perfect.”

“It is perfect, Kurt. It really is.” She threw her arms around him.

“Whoa, careful, pins!!”

They both laughed as they pulled apart. “Ok, be careful taking it off so that none of the pins come out, and then you can just hang it up there.” He gestured to a rack. “I’ll get the hem in this weekend. No binge dieting—or binge eating—between now and the wedding! I won’t have time to do last minute alterations!”

Rachel laughed again. “Of course. Can you help me with the zipper though?”

Kurt pulled down her zipper and then quickly turned to go. “That would be my cue to leave!” He threw her a wink as he stepped out of the bedroom and pulled the curtain shut behind him.

“How does it look?” Blaine asked as Kurt joined him in the kitchen.

“Oh, it’s perfect.”

“Of course it is,” Blaine nodded, pushing a cup of coffee toward him. “You made it.”

“I wish I could do it all for Mercedes’s dress too. I got her measurements and everything but it’s always hard without the actual model to do the finer points of fitting. I mailed it over there last week though and she is having someone local do her hem and final touches. I told her she has to show it to me the day they get here though in case I need to make any adjustments.”

“Of course you did,” Rachel said, emerging from the bedroom in her regular clothing again and joining them at the table. “My aunt always used to say that the point of having bridesmaids was to put them in hideous dresses so that no matter what the bride would look good.” Kurt choked a little on his coffee and looked at her in shock. “But these dresses are so gorgeous, I don’t know, we might steal the spotlight!” she teased.

“Nope, you won’t,” Blaine said confidently. “I’ve seen Kurt’s suit. Nobody is going to look better than him.”

“He’s not wrong, I do look amazing in my suit,” Kurt said. “But he looks better in his.” He winked at Blaine before leaning over and whispering loudly to Rachel, “you see, the way it fits around his ass is just…”

“Enough!” Rachel blurted! New topic!

“Do you have a plus one for the wedding?” Blaine asked.

“I’m not sure…”

“You should make sure you have one, even if it’s just a friend from work or whatever,” Kurt reminded her. “Because I’m sorry, but his brother…”

They all burst out laughing. This was not the first time they’d talked about Cooper and what he was likely to do at the wedding if Rachel didn’t have a man on her arm.

“Well, I went on a date with this guy last week,” she ventured quietly.

Kurt and Blaine glanced at each other. “What guy?” Blaine asked with a grin. “We haven’t heard about any guy…”

“His name’s Julian, and he’s in my show,” she explained, trying to be nonchalant but failing miserably. “He’s really nice and sweet, and sooo good looking.”

“You’ve always had a good eye for attractive men,” Kurt nodded, with smirk and a glance at Blaine.

“So how was the date?” Blaine asked.

“It was really, really nice,” Rachel couldn’t help grinning. “I mean we just got dinner, but we sat and talked for two hours, and it was fun, you know? I didn’t feel awkward or spend the whole time thinking about Finn or anything like I was afraid that I might.”

Kurt threw an arm around her shoulders and squeezed. “That’s so good to hear!”

“Are you going out with him again?” Blaine asked with a twinkle in his eye.

“We don’t have one scheduled yet,” Rachel admitted, “but I think we will. He said he had fun too…” She blushed.

“And let me guess, he kissed you goodnight.”

“Yes.” She brought her hands up to her face in a too-late attempt to hide the furious red and broad grin.

“That’s great news,” Blaine grinned. “Why are you being so weird about it? It’s just us, you know we support you.”

“Please tell me you don’t feel guilty about having a good time on your date?” Kurt added with concern.

“I don’t,” she assured him. “But I guess I wonder if maybe I should? Like, should it be this easy to move on after…”

“You didn’t move on easily,” Kurt reminded her. “It’s been two years.”

“I don’t even know him very well,” she floundered. “Maybe I should slow down and take time to get to know him better first, so I don’t end up with another Brody situation…”

“While I agree that the Brody situation was problematic,” Kurt said, “you have just gone on one date with Julian. You haven’t asked him to move in with you. You aren’t rushing into anything. It’s ok to be young and have fun. Maybe it will turn into something and maybe it won’t, but you dont’ have to decide right now. You have time.”

“C’mere,” Blaine rose, taking Rachel’s hand and pulling her toward the piano they still had in the corner. He sat and began [playing and singing softly](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vstyiNNrfis).

_I don't know you, but I want you all the more for that_

Rachel joined the song without hesitation.

 _Words fall through me and always fool me and I can't react_ _And games that never amount to more than they're meant will play themselves out_

Kurt smiled at them from across the room where he was washing up the coffee mugs. His fiancé was so good at knowing how to take care of people in just the way that they needed. Kurt just stood and looked at them both for a few minutes, letting the music flow through him and watching Rachel’s posture change as it flowed through her too.

_You have suffered enough and warred with yourself. It's time that you won._

They were all nodding along now. An outsider might have thought they were just keeping the beat with the music, but that wasn’t really it. The truth was that all three of them—Blaine, Kurt, and Rachel most of all—knew how true this message was for her right now. Her heart had been through so much, but now it was healed enough that she could begin to fall in love again. She was old enough and wise enough now to take her time about it, but the waiting was over.

_Take this sinking boat and point it home. We've still got time Raise your hopeful voice you have a choice, you've made it now_

As the song ended Blaine pulled Rachel into a tight hug.

“I swear I am friends with some of the most talented people on earth,” Kurt said, setting three little plates on the table.

“You’re as talented as we are,” Rachel replied, coming to hug him too. “What are those for?” she asked, pointing to the table.

Kurt just grinned as he opened a cupboard and pulled out a wide tray and removed the cover to show her what was on it.

“Oh, you have cake!”

“We have cake,” Blaine confirmed, coming up behind her.

“Are we going to talk about feelings now?” She gave them both stern looks. Blaine burst into laughter while Kurt feigned a pout.

“Only if you want to,” Blaine insisted.

“Or,” Kurt suggested. “I was thinking we are overdue for a _Real Housewives_ marathon. Shall we?” He handed her a plate with a fat slice of cake and gestured to the couch.

–––––––––––––––––-

The Singin’ Alamo, San Antonio, Texas

–––––––––––––––––-

Puck’s face was ashen as he walked into The Singin’ Alamo. He shouldn’t be so worked up about this. Changes happened all the time in the military. That was part of why he’d joined – so he wouldn't get stuck in a rut like he would have if he’d stayed in Lima.

But Lauren hadn’t signed up for that. They hadn’t even discussed it – before the wedding or since. She had a good life here in San Antonio, and things were looking up for her wrestling career. She wasn’t in the WWE yet, but in a few years she could work up to that.

They might be married, but had they said anything about “for better or worse” in the vows? Puck certainly couldn’t remember doing so.

“Hey, soldier,” Lauren nodded at him as he approached the bar. He was still in uniform – in too much of a hurry to get here to go back to the apartment to change. “You look a little piqued. Did you eat too many fried habañeros again?”

Puck sat down on a stool as Lauren pulled his favorite beer out of the cooler. He took a deep breath. Why had he come here? You don’t drop news like this on someone while they’re at work. He should have gone home and waited to talk to her after her shift ended. It was too late for that, but at least he could keep quiet about it until later, just let her get on with her day in the meantime. He nodded to himself, satisfied. Unfortunately, his stupid mouth didn’t get the memo.

“I’m being reassigned to Japan,” he blurted out.

The beer bottle dropped from Lauren’s hand. It shattered on the floor.

–––––––––––––––––-–––––––––––––––––-–––––––––––––––––-–––––––––––––––––-

 

Another week’s episode is over! Tune in next week for the long-awaited DISNEY TRIBUTE, titled We’re Almost There ! We’re almost at the end of our journey as well, so thank you for being part of it. Make sure to let the writers know what you enjoyed and what else you’d still like to see. Last chance!

[Here you can find this week’s stills.](http://gleeseasonfix.tumblr.com/post/118525661031/stills-glee-season-fix-episode-19-love-is-in)

  
  
  
  
  


[And here we have a YouTube playlist of all GSF songs!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOou5i3IVsU&index=1&list=PLROpgNDpvdlFsz1kMXL_byUttfy5XjJfI)

Songs:  
[Love is in the Air](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SmE-4XJt2n0) by John Paul Young  
Blaine: [Shiver Shiver](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uD63wVc57A8) by Walk the Moon  
Puck: [Willing and Wonderful](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVP173owEmc) by Mark Salling  
Brittany and Santana: [The Power of Two](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hj0yVN8pFNw) by Indigo Girls  
Rachel and Blaine: [Falling Slowly](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vstyiNNrfis) (from Once) by Glen Hansard, cover by Darren Criss and Lea Michele

 

 


	20. We're Almost There

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Spring is a time of endings and beginnings, changes and rebirth. It seems like all of the kids from McKinley are going through something. The Vibratos are graduating from high school and all the college kids are finishing up another year as everyone makes summer plans. Some unexpected events add excitement to Rachel, Mike, and Blaine’s lives; Artie, Quinn, Mercedes and Sam get good news; and Kurt, Puck, Lauren, and Tina each make decisions that will change their futures in significant ways.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written by [ to-write-is-to-bleed ](http://to-write-is-to-bleed.tumblr.com/), [ Soofreakincharmy ](http://soofreakincharmy.tumblr.com), [ gingerfic ](http://archiveofourown.org/users/gingerfic/pseuds/gingerfic) and [ Wowbright ](http://archiveofourown.org/users/wowbright/pseuds/wowbright)  
> Beta by [ HKvoyage ](http://hkvoyage.tumblr.com) and  
> [ alwaysfallingforanidea ](http://alwaysfallingforanidea.tumblr.com/)
> 
> Glee Season Fix (“GSF”) was written independently of spoilers about Glee Season 6. If songs or plots overlap, it’s due to coincidence or nature of the storylines that need resolution. If references pop up, we excuse ourselves for not being able to hold back.
> 
> Like on the show, GSF also includes songs and performances. There are links to full versions of each song, as well as a few pieces of lyrics quoted in the scene. We hope you will enjoy listening as well as reading, but be aware that the written version is shortened, whereas the audio versions are the full songs.

_**Here’s what you missed on Glee Season Fix:** _

_Rachel is in a play and she’s not the lead but she started dating the lead so hopefully that won’t get awkward. Meanwhile she is working hard and the director even complimented her on being a good team player so we’re all proud of her for that._

_Puck and Lauren eloped with an Elvis-themed wedding in Las Vegas, but then right afterward he got orders to go to Japan and now they have to figure out what to do about it._

_Kurt has been working on a play about Pippa Middleton. Most of the characters are hats. He’s the writer, composer, director, costumer, and lead countertenor, and it’s pretty impressive. He worked so hard to get into NYADA and he is really shining there. But a big fashion designer from France has invited him to come spend the summer working with her and now he feels conflicted and he can’t make up his mind about it even though it basically means a free three-month honeymoon in Paris with Blaine._

_Artie finished his final project for film school, a documentary about dance. He couldn’t have done it without help from his friends, especially Mike, who ties with Brittany as the greatest dancer of all time—or at least the greatest dancer to come out of Ohio. Artie hasn’t heard yet what his grade is, but he was confident enough to submit it to one of New York’s film festivals._

_Sam writes a comic strip called Accidental Heroes that’s vaguely inspired by his adventures with the Secret Society of Superheroes Club when he was at McKinley. It became an internet sensation and he’s going to publish a graphic novel. Also, he and Mercedes adopted a dog together. It has long brown hair, so of course Sam named it Chewbacca even though it’s tiny. Mercedes is proud of him. She just finished recording another album and she’s getting kind of famous. It’s getting to the point that sometimes she just wants to do her grocery shopping without anyone asking for her autograph._

_Tina’s been trying to figure out her major forever. At least, it feels like forever. Better get on that, Tina._

**–––––––––––––––––-**

Brooklyn Roasting Company, New York City

**–––––––––––––––––-**

Artie wheeled into the coffee shop so fast he almost ran over Rachel.

“Watch it, buster! Those are dancing feet you almost ran over. You break them, and I’ll have to sue you for lost income!” She looked up from her feet and saw it was Artie who had almost plowed her down. “Oops, sorry. I didn’t realize it was you, Artie.”

“You’re talking more and more like a real New Yorker every day.”

“Who, _moi_?” Rachel batted her eyelashes in that half-proud, half-flustered look she got whenever someone told her she was as talented as she knew she was. “So what are you in such a hurry about, anyway?”

“I’m not in a hurry. Just too excited to slow down.”

“ _Oh._ Did you have that second date with Persephone?”

“It’s not about a girl. It’s bigger than that.”

Rachel clapped her hands. “Oh my god. It’s about your film, isn’t it? You’re going to be a star!”

“Directors aren’t stars, Rachel. Directors are more important than stars. They’re what make stars shine.”

“Already speaking like a professional director! You’re taking credit for everything. So what’s the news? Did you get an A on it?”

Artie shook his head. “I haven’t gotten my grade back yet. But I don’t even care about that now. Because I received an email this afternoon that I got into _the_ Breakneck Film Festival.”

“I’ve actually heard of that one!” Rachel bounced on her toes. “That’s incredible, Artie.”

“Thank you,” Artie said smugly. “I’ll send everyone a Facebook invite. If it’s not an _Oklahoma_ night, I expect you to be there.”

“I definitely will. Now order the fanciest coffee you can think of, on me. This is cause for celebration!”

–––––––––––––––––-

New Haven, Connecticut

**–––––––––––––––––-**

“Tina, I’m going to have to call you back. I’ve got another call coming in,” Quinn said as she walked across campus back to her dorm.

“Ok. I’ll talk to you soon. Bye.” Quinn quickly hit the flash button and answered the call coming in on the other line.

“Hello, this is Quinn Fabray.”

“Hello, Ms. Fabray, my name is Vivian Carmichael from Kraus, Parpapoulis & Joyce, and I’d like to talk to you about the application you sent in about our summer internship program.”

Quinn stifled her gasp. Out of all of the internships she’d applied for, this was the most prestigious. An internship at Kraus, Parpapoulis & Joyce as a junior or senior in college practically guaranteed success in the world of law.

“Yes, ma’am. What can I do for you?” Quinn asked politely, attempting to keep her reserve.

“I was the first person to look at your application and resumé, and, I must say, Ms. Fabray, I am very impressed. You’ve got a number of service hours under your belt, great marks in all of your courses, and all while keeping up with your family back in Ohio. You are a very talented young lady, Ms. Fabray,” Vivian said kindly.

All of it was true. Quinn had gotten a number of service hours working at the Women’s Health Center in downtown New Haven, as well as keeping up her grades and staying in touch with her family and friends from back home. She was a well-rounded person, and she was hoping someone else would see it, too.

“Oh, thank you, Ms. Carmichael.”

“I’ve spoken with some of the members of the firm, and we’d like to call you in for an interview, if you’re still interested in the internship?”

Quinn almost squealed. But she didn’t. She kept her cool. Because that’s what good lawyers do. They keep their cool in times of high excitement.

“I’d love to come in, Ms. Carmichael. What time would be best for you?”

“How does next Wednesday at two sound,” Vivian asked politely.

“Perfect. Thank you so much, Ms. Carmichael. I really do look forward to meeting you,” Quinn replied.

“As do I, Ms. Fabray. Have a wonderful afternoon.”

Quinn ended the call and stood in the middle of the quad for a few seconds.

An interview with Kraus, Parpapoulis & Joyce! Quinn couldn’t believe it. This was the start of her career as a women’s rights lawyer. This was the beginning of the next stage in her life.

_[Ain't got time for messing around](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljdAYTH5QSY), this whole town can slow you down People taking the easy way, but I know exactly where I'm going_

Quinn was so proud of herself. She’d made it out of McKinley alive, she’d gotten into Yale, and might even be getting an internship at one of the most prestigious women’s rights firms in New Haven.

_And getting closer, closer, every day.  
And I'm almost there, I'm almost there!_

Her dream job was at her fingertips. She just had to reach out and grab it, and this interview was the way to do it.

_So I work real hard each and every day  
Now things for sure are going my way_

Quinn had worked her butt off to get to where she was. All that singing and dancing and heartache in high school had truly prepared her for the future, because when she was feeling down, a good song always got her through, and that was all she needed to get through the trials and tribulations of college.

_I'm a-lmost-there !_

**–––––––––––––––––-**

New York City

**–––––––––––––––––-**

Blaine checked his watch as he hurried up the stairs. His father was in the city for a few days on business, and Blaine was having lunch with him. Richard had invited Kurt too, but Kurt had a rehearsal and couldn’t make it.

Richard was waiting in front of the restaurant when Blaine came around the corner.

“Right on time, son. I’m glad you could make it.” Richard clapped him into a warm hug. “Are you hungry?”

Blaine grinned. “Definitely.”

\---

“Your mom said you two found a new apartment?” Richard mentioned as they worked through a basket of breadsticks.

“Yeah, it’s a really cute little place,” Blaine told him. “It’s a lot smaller than the loft, but we knew we weren’t going to be able to keep having that much room if we wanted to move into a better location. This is a one-bedroom, and it’s in an older neighborhood but the landlord has totally remodeled the place so it’s really nice. It’s a little cheaper than the loft, and it’s closer to the subway station so it really has everything we were looking for.”

“When do you move in?”

“Well it’s available on May 29—”

“That’s the same weekend as the wedding,” Richard furrowed his brows.

“Yeah, I know,” Blaine laughed. “But we don’t have a lot of stuff, and we figured all our friends will be in town for a couple of extra days for the bachelor parties on Friday, so on Saturday we’ll have them all help us move boxes over to the new place before the wedding on Sunday.”

“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” Richard asked with concern. “I mean, shouldn’t you spend the day before the wedding just relaxing, or finishing up final plans or something?”

Blaine chuckled. “I convinced Kurt that it was a good idea to have something to keep us busy that day. If we try to do nothing then he will spend the day having anxiety attacks and fretting that the florist or the caterer is going to mess something up.”

“They’re all professionals,” Richard muttered. He looked up and smiled at the server as she set a large plate in front of him. “Thank you, Linda.” He turned back to Blaine. “Really though, you checked references and everything before you hired those people for your wedding, right?”

Blaine nodded.

“So stay out of their way and let them do what they were hired to do!” Richard stabbed a forkful of pasta and gestured with it before putting it into his mouth. “They have done a lot more weddings than either of you have!”

Blaine smiled. “Exactly. Kurt likes to do everything—and he’s really good at it,” he added loyally. “But the reason we hired people to do everything is so that we wouldn’t have to.”

“So you’re going to move on the day before your wedding.”

“Yeah.”

“Well that sounds a little bit crazy to me, but I guess your reasons make sense. You’ll have the day off and you’ll have people in town to help with the heavy lifting.” Richard shrugged. “You’re adults, you can figure things out.”

“The only downside of this move is that we’re having to get rid of the piano,” Blaine admitted. “There’s not enough room for it in the new place.”

“You have a piano?” Richard asked, apparently surprised. “I didn’t remember that.”

“Yeah, we got a used one a couple of years ago,” Blaine reminded him. “It’s nothing fancy, we just keep it in the corner, but I’ve spent a lot of hours with it so I guess I’m sentimentally attached now.” He shrugged and took a bite of his lunch.

“You never could stay away from pianos,” Richard shook his head affectionately. “Cooper yelled at us for making him take lessons, but you always loved them. When you were little, maybe in second or third grade, you used to ask every morning at breakfast whether it was a piano lesson day. Do you remember that?”

Blaine laughed. “Nope!”

“And a few times you even cried when we told you it wasn’t a lesson day.”

“Seriously?”

His father looked at him with a straight face. “Seriously. I remember one time you bawled for fifteen minutes before your mom told you that you could spend extra time practicing that day and give yourself a lesson.”

Blaine was laughing even harder now. “Oh my god, Dad, I do not remember that at all.”

“Cross my heart, you were a weird kid, Blaine.”

“Wow.”

“I guess we should have known back then that you would be serious about performing,” Richard mused, setting down his fork and sitting back in his chair. “I always expected that one of you would go to business school like I did, and after Cooper dropped out of college to be an actor I know I pressured you about it.”

“It’s ok, Dad—”

“No, no it really wasn’t.” Richard looked at him apologetically. “It took me a long time to trust you to make your own decisions, and I’m sorry about that. I don’t know if I’ve ever told you how proud I am of you for how well you’re doing at NYADA.” He cleared his throat gruffly and leaned back into his food. “So, anyway, how is school going?”

Blaine knew his dad was still working on communicating better with him. They had both been guilty in the past, but they had made progress in the last few months and Blaine was so proud of his dad in moments like this.

“Classes are going well. I think I’ll have all good grades again this semester. Finals are this week actually.” Richard was nodding as he chewed so Blaine went on. “I think my favorite thing that I did this semester was my internship. I’m sure you read my emails about it?”

Richard kept nodding. “Yes, although I was a little confused about why you were suddenly in a play, or helping direct it or something?”

“It was pretty sudden, but it was just an opportunity that came up and I jumped on it and I’m so glad I did.” Blaine couldn’t stop grinning as he recounted his experiences as a rehearsal assistant, how fun it had been to work with little Mitchell, and how proud he had felt when he was able to encourage the whole cast when they got depressed about the theater closure.

“Wait, the place closed?” Richard looked confused.

“Yeah, apparently The Crystal had been losing money for a while, and that was their last show.” He shrugged and sighed. “It’s too bad really, because it was a really nice theater space, but they also had such a history there. There were all these production posters in the back hallway by the dressing rooms, and I just felt like I was part of a legacy, you know?” Blaine pushed his remaining food around his plate distractedly for a minute. “I wish there was a way I could have saved it.”

Richard eyed him through furrowed brows. “What would a college student do to save a theater?”

“Oh, I don’t know,” Blaine admitted. “I mean I don’t know the first thing about business. But I guess I would probably rent it out to people in the community, like someone teaching dance classes or giving music lessons. I imagine there are organizations who might want to rent it out for events sometimes.” His eyes lit up as he contemplated the possibilities. “And of course putting on shows—that’s what a theater is meant for after all. There are a lot of shows that don’t require complex or expensive sets or costumes that could be cheap to put on. Maybe some things like that would have helped them be able to stay open.”

“Mmm-hmm.”

“Anyway, it’s too late for The Crystal, which is sad, but I guess that’s just how life goes.” Blaine smiled at his dad as the server brought the check. “Thanks for lunch, Dad. I have to get back for my last class.”

“Alright son,” Richard said, rising and giving him a hug. “It’s good to see you. I’ve got meetings for a couple of days but I’ll try to give you a call and maybe we can connect once more before I have to fly home?”

“That would be great, Dad, I’d like that,” Blaine said. And he meant it.

**–––––––––––––––––-**

Los Angeles, California

**–––––––––––––––––-**

When they heard Mercedes’ key turning in the apartment door, Sam and his new dog Chewbacca bounded toward it to greet her.

Mercedes laughed affectionately when she saw them. They were both hopping up and down with excitement. “Are you sure the two of you weren’t twins in a past life?”

Sam’s eyes opened went wide with awe. “Weird. Chewbacca and I were just talking about that this morning.”

Mercedes scratched under Chewbacca’s chin and gave Sam a hug. “You two are a match made in heaven. A regular beauty and the beast.”

 _“Tale as old as time, true as it can be,”_ Sam [sang](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_xE9gKnUqM&feature=youtu.be&list=PLExh04LaToPtHqfCVQppoQU5sUMRCz7bg).

Mercedes guffawed, but then joined in with a sonorous,

_Barely even friends,  
then somebody bends unexpectedly._

“Chewbacca’s the beauty, right?” Sam said seriously. “She’s got the best eyes.”

He picked Chewbacca up and let the dog lick his face.

“Oh my gosh, Sam, I can’t believe you let her do that. Remind me not to kiss you until you’ve washed up.”

“Dog spit is antibacterial.” Chewbacca licked Sam’s lips this time.

Mercedes rolled her eyes in disbelief but didn’t comment. She just kept singing:

 _Certain as the sun, rising in the east:_  
tale as old as time, song as old as rhyme—  
beauty and the beast.

Sam gave Mercedes a peck on the cheek as they closed the song. She wiped it off in feigned disgust, murmuring something about dog spit, then strolled over the the kitchen area, setting her purse down on the counter. “Maybe I should cover that song for my next album,” she said with a dramatic wink as she pulled a can of soda water from the refrigerator.

“Hey,” Sam said. “You just winked. People wink when they have a secret. Or they’re trying to give a hint about something. What’s the secr—wait, don’t tell me. I can figure it out.”

Mercedes smiled mysteriously.

“I’m a superhero, with a superpowered Wookiee dog. I should _totally_ be able to figure this out.” Sam looked Chewbacca in the eye. “Help me figure this out, girl.” Chewbacca’s ears perked up. She wagged her tail.

Understanding dawned across Sam’s face. “I think you’re right, Chewie!” Sam spun his head toward Mercedes. “Did you sign a contract for another album?”

Mercedes beamed. “I did, indeed. And this means we can finally move to a bigger place.”

“That’s so great!” Sam put Chewie down on the floor and ran over to hug Mercedes again as Chewie danced in circles around them. “The album part is great. I don’t care about the apartment. I could live in a storage room with you and I’d be happy.”

Mercedes chuckled. “Speak for yourself. Chewbacca and I would prefer a place with windows.”

“Windows, windows ...” Sam murmured. “That reminds me! I almost forgot to tell you _my_ good news.”

“What’s that?”

“I got an advanced copy of my book today from the publisher. It looks _amazing._ And there was a note with it –” Sam took Mercedes hand and pulled her over to the couch to look at the note. “They want me to do a book tour, first a few signings here in California and Nevada. And they’ve booked me for the Comic-Con in San Diego and some of the other conventions, and I can do some signings in Ohio when we go back for Christmas.”

“Sam, I’m so proud of you!” Mercedes gave him a congratulatory kiss despite what she’d said earlier about dog saliva. “But what does that have to do with windows?”

“Oh, that’s not obvious?

Mercedes wrinkled her eyebrows and shook her head slowly.

“The San Diego Convention Center has really big windows.”

Mercedes’ smile grew even wider than it already was. “Sam Evans, you have the most delightful mind of anyone I know.”

Sam smiled back at her. “I love you, too, Mercedes.”

**–––––––––––––––––-**

Lima, Ohio

**–––––––––––––––––-**

Marley looked down at her feet as she waited for her mom to get out of the car. She was finally graduating from high school. The Vibratos were going to have a few more performances over the summer, including one at one of the parks in downtown Cleveland, and she was going to Ohio State in the fall. Everything was coming to a close. She was grateful for the things she’d learned while in high school, and she was grateful for the friendships she’d made.

“Hon, if you want to go be with your friends, that’s ok. I don’t mind,” her mom said, locking the car up.

“Oh, that’s ok, Mom. I don’t even know if they’re here yet,” Marley replied, adjusting her cap and taking her mom’s arm.

“Well, isn’t that them, right over there?”

Marley looked to where her mom was gesturing and saw Kitty, Unique and Ryder all waving excitedly. Marley blushed and looked back to her friends.

“You really don’t mind, Mom?”

“Nah. You go on, hon. This is your day.” Her mom smiled back at her. Marley kissed her swiftly on the cheek and bounced over to meet her friends. Unique hugged her tightly and Kitty and Ryder embraced her together. Marley had never felt so at home with her friends.

“Can you believe it, girl? We’re finally graduating!” Unique was as fabulous as ever, and Marley knew she was wearing something bright and bold on underneath her graduation gown.

“I know. We’re going to college in the fall. High school really is over,” Kitty replied. Marley felt herself welling up at the thought. She’d had a rough start, but she’d had so many beautiful experiences at McKinley that the good always outweighed the bad.

“Hey, now. Don’t get too ahead of yourself. We’ve still got the whole summer to look forward to, am I right?” Ryder grinned.

“Hey, guys sorry I’m late,” Jake called, jogging up to their little group with Sugar not far behind. Jake was late, as usual, but he looked just as excited about graduation as the rest of the group.

“Hey Jake,” everyone chorused. Jake grinned and threw his arms around Ryder and Kitty.

“You guys ready to graduate?”

“Hell yeah!”

Marley smiled at her feet. She’d never thought she would have such an amazing group of friends that supported her and loved her. And to think, they were all going to graduate together!

“Hey. Show circle, guys,” Ryder said. Everyone huddled up, just the six of them.

“We’ve all been through a lot these past four years. What with that shooting scare a few years back and the abuse we all endured, being the lowest on the totem pole. And glee club getting disbanded, well, that had to have been the straw that broke the camel’s back.

“But we managed. With Sam’s help, we were able to keep performing, which is something we love, and we got to stay close as a group of friends. All in all, I say it was a pretty amazing four years,’ Ryder finished, smiling.

“Hear, hear!”

“Now, what do you say we finish this with one last ‘amazing’?”

Everyone put their hands in the show circle, and crouched down low.

“Aaamazing!”

Marley had never grinned wider.

**–––––––––––––––––-**

Providence, Rhode Island

**–––––––––––––––––-**

Mike’s phone started buzzing on his bed and Tina’s face flashed across the screen. “Tina?”

“I picked a major!” Tina squealed.

“Oh my god, that’s so great! What is it?”

“Visual communication! Please tell me I didn’t catch you when you were super busy because right now I just want to state repeatedly how excited I am!”

“Tina, how could you possibly think that I was free? I have rehearsals and class during every second of everyday; there’s no way I would be able to listen to my girlfriend’s excited rambles,” Mike joked.

“Haha you’re so funny, I knew there was a reason why I liked you.”

“I thought it was my overall dazzling personality and your strange obsession with my abs.”

“Mike, I picked a major!”

“I know.”

“And I’m so excited!”

“I know.” Though he sounded deadpan, Tina could hear the smile in Mike’s face.

“And I can focus on art or design or film or photography and I just, I have my future in front of me right now and I can’t wait for it to unfold!”

“Let me guess, you’re excited?”

“Mike! Don’t make fun of me! I was there hearing you ramble when you got into the Joffrey Academy.”

“Fine, fine and you didn’t deserve it.”

“I sure didn’t! I got you into that school. Payback, you’ll have to listen to me non-stop.”

“I have to say, I really don’t mind.”

“You sir, are a sap.”

“Tina, may I ask you why Visual communication? I never knew that was an option.”

“Yes, yes you may. I took a visual arts class last semester and when I was discussing my interests with the career advisor, I remembered how much I enjoyed making costumes for glee club in high school,” Tina made a pause, like she was musing over a thought. “Well the only thing I didn't enjoy about it was how underappreciated I was for it, but the process of designing and sewing the costumes was actually really neat—and I talked it over with the career advisor and we realized visual communication would be a really good fit for me. It’s not just costuming either. It’s also being involved with a lot of the production and marketing side of things. After how hard I fought for the spotlight in high school, it feels a little weird to be specifically choosing something behind the scenes like this. But it is a way to be creative in so many facets besides just performing, and when I think about it I actually kind of love that. It still baffles me how after months of uncertainty I suddenly figured my life out. And I feel great about it! Although I also feel sort of weird…”

“What’s weird? Feeling confident? Because I was almost sure you did not have a confidence problem”

“Oh shush! It’s just a bit unsettling to not have that thought at the back of my head nagging me to make a choice.”

“I get it. You got used to having that thought hovering over you for all these months and now that you got rid of it it’s like something is missing.”

“It’s exactly like that. I’m glad I’m not doubtful and lost anymore, but everything feels weird and unreal. Still exciting though.”

“As it should be!”

“I guess I have you to thank.”

“Don’t mention it,” Mike said jokingly. “After all I never properly thanked you for going behind my back and sending my applications towards those dance schools,” his tone was serious now.

“So thank you. Thank you for making the suggestion to go talk to the career advisor. Thank you for being here for me. You’re not the only one I have to thank but I do have to thank you.”

“Thank you Tina. Thank you for pushing me towards what I was too scared to pursue when I was in high school. Thank you for knowing me better than I know myself and being the voice of reason when I’m foolish.”

“You’re welcome.”

“I love you.”

“And so do I,” said Tina earnestly.

**–––––––––––––––––-**

Manhattan, New York City

**–––––––––––––––––-**

Rachel was exhausted. They’d been dancing all day at _Oklahoma_ rehearsal, the same square dance over and over until her leotard was soaked through with sweat and the whole stage smelled like a locker room. But there was no time to rest. She had two-and-a-half hours between rehearsal and the start of her shift at The Blue. Thankfully, by now she had sponge baths and shampooing in the ladies’ room sink down to a science.

She sighed as she turned off the blow-drier. Of all the things she missed about being a leading lady, today what she missed the most was having someone else do her hair. She hadn’t always agreed with their aesthetic decisions, but at least it was one less thing to worry about in her day.

She patted on some basic make-up and threw on her street clothes, then grabbed her garment bag and rucksack before heading out the stagedoor.

It was a beautiful spring evening. The sun hadn’t set yet, but she could see the white glow of the half-moon high in the sky. It reminded her of a story her dads liked to tell about her when she was little. “When I grow up, I’m going to be the biggest star in the sky—even bigger than that one!” she’d say, pointing at the moon.

The story used to embarrass her terribly, mostly because it showed she hadn’t always been savvy enough to know the difference between the moon and stars. Now it just made her laugh to herself.

She’d been confused about a lot of things star-related as a kid. She’d thought fame would bring her happiness. But it hadn’t—or she wouldn’t have done something so shortsighted as quitting _Funny Girl._ She was past beating herself up over the decision, but she mulled over it sometimes, trying to figure out why she’d felt so empty after achieving her life goal, why success on Broadway hadn’t felt like success at all. She’d just become hungry for more fame, for accolades from a wider audience. It wasn’t enough to be the belle of Broadway anymore. Broadway, she realized, has a limited audience. And Rachel wanted—no, _needed—_ to be loved by a lot more people than the few thousands who could afford to come to her show. She needed to be adored by millions. So she left her dream job for TV.

In retrospect, it was clear why Broadway hadn’t been enough. She’d wanted the love from her audience to feel as big as the love she’d always felt from Finn. But no audience can love you in the way a single person can.

She glanced up at the sky again as she waited for the crosswalk light to turn green. Somewhere up there was a star named Finn Hudson, watching over her. If she’d looked up and asked him what he thought when she’d been considering leaving _Funny Girl,_ she probably never would have left. Finn had always been able to see the long view when it came to her career, even when she couldn’t. But she’d felt so abandoned by him then, so betrayed. Most days, it was hard to think about him at all.

It was getting easier. These days, thoughts of him made her smile more often than they made her sad.

The light turned. She started humming “[When You Wish Upon a Star](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AmxtzsRgJts)” to herself—and maybe to Finn, too—as she crossed the street.

_When you wish upon a star, makes no difference who you are,  
Anything your heart desires will come to you._

As she stepped into Dean & DeLuca for a sandwich she could eat on her way to The Blue, she almost collided head-on into a woman who looked an awful lot like Barbra Streisand. Of course, that described a good portion of female New York, at least from Rachel Berry’s eyes. When Rachel first moved to New York, she’d hallucinated Barbra on almost every street corner, and while the sightings had dropped since, she still mistook someone for Barbra at least once a week before taking a second glance. This woman had Barbra’s straw blonde hair, lovely Semitic nose, and huge, identity-hiding sunglasses, but so did a tenth of Manhattan. Rachel wasn’t going to embarrass herself by screaming “Barbra!” at her.

But she was flustered enough that she did a very un-New York thing and apologized for the near-collision. “Sorry, I should have been looking where I was going.”

“It happens, dear,” said the woman in a heavy Brooklyn accent, checking that nothing had fallen out of her grocery bag. The woman started to step away, but then stopped. She turned around and said, “Rachel Berry?”

“Yes?” Rachel perked up. It wasn’t often that fans recognized her on the street. She silently kicked herself for not packing any signed eight-by-tens in her gym bag this morning.

The woman lowered her sunglasses to get a better look at Rachel.

Oh. Those blue eyes. Rachel would know them anywhere. It _was_ Barbra Streisand.

“B –” Rachel started, but the rest of the word failed to come out. She took a deep breath and tried again. “Barbra Streisand?”

Barbra smiled. “Look at us. Two Fanny Brices running into each other at Dean & DeLuca. Manhattan.” She shrugged one shoulder on the last word, as if that explained everything.

“You know who I am?”

“Of course I know who you are. Everyone was calling you the next me.”

Rachel looked down at her shoes. “Well, they were wrong about that. You were more persistent.”

Barbra did the little shrug again. “You’re young. It can be hard to see clearly when success hits you all at once. Your manager should have been looking out for you.”

Rachel did a double take. A manager? She’d never had one. Perhaps that would have made things easier. She made a mental note to call Santana with a job offer.

“I was sad to see you go, though,” Barbra said. “I thought you were great as Fanny.”

“Wait. You saw me?”

“Opening night. Kept it hush-hush, though. Didn’t want to be hounded by people asking me my opinion, you know? Every actor should be allowed to make a role her own. How are you doing these days, anyway?”

“Well, you can probably imagine. No one wants to hire me for a starring role after what I pulled. But I finally managed to get cast in the chorus in an off-Broadway production of _Oklahoma._ So at least I’m working.”

Barbra patted Rachel on the arm. “Good for you. You’ve got to take your start where you can get it. Mine was as an usher at the Lunt-Fontaine. You’re already two steps ahead of where I was at your age. You can still make it.”

“Thank you, Ms. Streisand.”

“And remember, ‘ _When a star is born, they receive a gift or two. One of them is this, they have the power to make a dream come true.’_ Be your own star, Ms. Berry.” And with that, Barbra turned and stepped out the glass doors.

Rachel stood dazed until someone else bumped into her—and like a real New Yorker, this time she did not apologize. Instead, she made her way toward the deli counter, singing,

_Like a bolt out of the blue, fate steps in and sees you through.  
When you wish upon a star, your dreams come true._

**–––––––––––––––––-**

New York City

**–––––––––––––––––-**

Mike glanced down at his buzzing phone and squinted at the number that appeared on the screen. He didn’t know the number, and he didn’t even recognize the area code. It wasn’t local, but it wasn’t Ohio either. He answered hesitantly.

“Hello?”

“Mike Chang?”

“Yes?”

“Hello, my name is Ronald Bingham, I am a talent scout for Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.”

Mike swallowed hard, his years of practiced Asian formality paying off. “Hello sir. What can I do for you?”

“You were in that ‘Hedwig and the Five Angry Inches’ revue recently, right?”

“Yes sir, I was just one of the backup dancers,” he said humbly.

“Oh there’s no ‘just’ about your dancing, Mr. Chang,” Ronald chuckled. “I couldn’t take my eyes off of you the whole performance.”

“Uh, thank you?” Mike said automatically, trying to figure out how this guy had even gotten his personal number.

“So you don’t think I’m a stalker or anything, like I said, I’m a talent scout for Alvin Ailey,” Ronald reminded him. “I found the producer after the show and asked him for your contact information. I’m sorry to surprise you out of the blue like this, but I didn’t know of any other way to reach you.”

“Oh, it’s ok,” Mike assured him, the pieces falling into place in his mind now.

“I understand you’re still in school?”

“Yes, I’m at Juilliard,” Mike said proudly. “I studied at the Joffrey for two years, and now I’ve been here for a year and I have one more to go.”

“Well, you are welcome to take that year, if you want to,” Ronald told him. “But the honest truth is that if you are interested, we have a place for someone like you right now. We need more men with your skillset here.”

“I, I—” Mike stammered.

“If you want to finish school, that’s admirable. And you can come after you graduate,” Ronald continued. “I mean you would have to do an audition of course, but with my recommendation on your application it will probably only be a formality.”

“I, just, wow!” Mike said, wishing he could say something a little more eloquent but feeling utterly incapable of doing so.

“I fear I may have overwhelmed you a little,” Ronald laughed. “Sorry, I forget sometimes what it’s like to be on the receiving end of my phone calls.” He cleared his throat. “I am serious though, we would really love to have you come try out with us. I think you would very likely be offered a full-time position with the company.”

“I’ll have to think about it,” Mike finally managed.

“Of course you will,” Ronald agreed. “As you should. But in the meantime, you have my number now, and next time you do a show please let me know. I hope you don’t mind my asking for that, but you’re really an exceptional dancer, and I wouldn’t pass up a chance to see you again, whether or not you join our company.”

“I, wow,” Mike said again, wishing he could think of anything more eloquent or professional-sounding to say. “Thank you, that’s amazing.”

“I’m serious, Mr. Chang, please let me know next time you’re performing anywhere, even if it’s just a school show.”

“I’m a featured soloist in a documentary about dance that comes out at the Breakneck Independent Film Festival this week,” Mike blurted in one breath.

“Is that so?” Ronald sounded genuinely interested. “I may go check that out. I might take some colleagues with me too. Thanks for mentioning it.”

“Sure,” Mike was grinning, and it carried through his voice. “I’m really flattered Mr. Bingham. I will think about it.”

“You do that Mr. Chang. And no matter what you decide, I wish you all the best in your career.”

“Thank you.”

**–––––––––––––––––-**

Poise Publicity, Los Angeles, California

**–––––––––––––––––-**

“Great, this place has large windows!” Brittany exclaimed as she walked into a conference room at Santana’s workplace. “Now I can be sure Lady Tubbington will be able to protect me!”

“How? Animals are not allowed in the building, even if you are in danger of dying a painful death because your guardian cat couldn’t get here. Or did that oversized cat learned how to scale walls?” Santana questioned, fondness lighting her face as she watched her girlfriend defending her lady cat.

“She always knew! Don’t underestimate her physical abilities!”

“I’m not underestimating her abilities, I’m just wondering if a furry sphere with tiny paws is able to actually move.”

“Don’t be mean to my chief of security! No wonder my pets give you the cold shoulder...” Brittany said that with no malice, a smile betraying her joke.

“I may have a shaky relationship with Lady Tubbington but she still prefers me over Sam, so I know that at least she has a standard. And Lord Tubbington _loves_ me, he just plain _adores_ me. Ever since that time when you left for a while and he saw me bringing you back, the annoying thing has been leaving fur all over my hair because he can’t stay away.”

“Santana, you can’t let him close to your hair, you have razors in there!” Britt was dead serious and Santana couldn’t help laughing.

“I’m sure he’ll be fine. He’s part of the cat mafia after all; I’m sure he’s dealt with far worse than some razors.” Santana looked at her watch. “Look Britt, I have to go in for a meeting with a client but I’ll be back soon to get you all settled.” She gave her girlfriends a peck on the lips. “Love ya.” And she dashed out the door, as gracefully as she could in high heels.

Brittany stared out of the window. They were pretty huge after all and they provided a beautiful panorama of LA. It was a view she didn’t mind seeing while she worked.

 _Fondue for Two_ had boomed. After her interview with Beyoncé her teeny fanbase had grown to a large monster she was no longer in control of, but that she was very grateful for. All of the sudden minor celebrities were asking to be interviewed by her, and to be completely honest, that overwhelmed her a bit.

Santana was the one that gave the suggestion to make the interviews at her workplace. It was a win-win. The firm got clients, Britt did the interviews that she enjoyed immensely and the celebrities got some extra fame. Besides Brittany got to keep her privacy, which wouldn’t happen by letting strangers into her home.

Brittany sat at one of the chairs and let out a giggle of joy as she found out it spinned. With childlike enthusiasm, she started sliding across the room, creating a bizarre spectacle to whoever decided to look up from the ground on the gloomy Thursday.

[ _ Down here all the fish is happy _](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WeGycrMGGkY)  
_As off through the waves they roll_  
_The fish on the land ain't happy_  
_They sad 'cause they in their bowl_

All her life Brittany had been told she needed to live in the real world. Why? She had no idea. What brought happiness to those who couldn’t believe in the magic she was sure existed? They must lead such dull lives.

_Since life is sweet here  
We got the beat here_

True, Santana and all her glee friends had a twinkle in their eye, but Brittany knew they were also aware of the magic in the world. Brittany couldn’t fathom a closeted Santana, or a Kurt who had been bullied to his limit, but she also knew that it had been the magical world of glee who saved them and she was glad. A world with no magic was no world to live in.

_What do they got? A lot of sand  
We got a hot crustacean band_

Brittany looked down to the people on the street once again. A sea of individuals who couldn’t have looked less individual if they tried. And Brittany hoped they were happy on their world. A world she didn’t belong at and a world she knew wasn’t as glittery as hers, but since those people didn’t have her luck, they might as well make the best of their lives in their would

_Under the sea_

“Britt?” Santana said as she opened the room of the conference room.

“Yes?”

“The person you were supposed to interview today couldn’t come. Personal reasons. But I also have good news. Well, I hope you think it's good.”

"What?" "The agency said it would be okay for me to be your PR rep. If you don't mind working with me, that is." Santana gave a nervous smile. Brittany ran to Santana and threw her arms around her. "You're the best in the business. Of course I want you as my rep." "You won't get sick of me? Living with me and working with me?" "I worked with you in Cheerios. I worked with you in glee club. Working with you is how I fell in love with you." "Britt, you always say the nicest things." "Only when they're true."

"Well, these are true."

–––––––––––––––––-

NYADA auditorium, New York City

–––––––––––––––––-

The applause was thunderous as Kurt walked out onto the stage for the final curtain call. The audience was on their feet, with sections of them chanting “Pip, Pip, hooray! Pip, Pip, hooray!”

If it had been a concert, an encore would have been warranted. But this was a play, and all Kurt could do was curtsy again and again until his knees grew tired, and then retreat with the rest of the cast backstage.

“You were perfect!” Blaine greeted him with a huge bouquet of roses. “The show was perfect!”

Kurt returned his kiss. “But I pay you to say that.”

“No, you don’t.”

“Kisses aren’t a form of bribery?”

“Only if you count enticing me into bed as bribery. But I prefer to think of that as seduc–”

Blaine was interrupted by a screaming Rachel. “Oh my god, Kurt, that was _amazing._ I want to _marry_ your play. Promise me that when it goes to Broadway, you’ll cast me in the starring role.” She shoved a mixed bouquet in his arms to accompany the roses.

“You mean the purple hat? But that’s for a countertenor.”

Rachel scrunched her eyebrows together. “No, silly. The green hat. That’s the lead soprano, so whoever plays her is automatically the star.”

“Tell that to Christine Dwyer.” Kurt rolled his eyes affectionately.

Rachel smiled. “I will if I ever meet her.”

Several of Kurt’s other friends greeted him with flowers and kisses. Blaine quickly became the flower boy, gathering whatever Kurt couldn’t hold into a 5-gallon pail he’d brought expressly for the purpose.

There was a reception afterward for Kurt and the other writers who had staged readings that week. It was mostly NYADA students and their friends, many of whom used the excuse of being done with their finals to imbibe from the punch bowl a little too freely. Kurt didn’t drink, since there were also several professors present, and as always a few talent scouts and theater directors in search of fresh material. He wasn’t going to make a fool of himself.

Kurt tried to be subtle as he followed the Broadway VIPs’ every move with his eyes. Soon they started coming up to him, one by one—congratulating him on his play, handing him their business cards, asking when they could get in touch.

“I’ve never seen anything like it!” said Jennifer Yu, an up-and-coming lyricist whose _Geek Love: The Musical_ had taken off-Broadway by storm. She shook Kurt’s hand vigorously as she spoke. “You wouldn’t think singing hats would work, but they do! Goddammit, why didn’t I think of it first?”

“It’s no match for your work, Ms. Yu.” Kurt was able to say this with sincerity, because he half-believed it.

Jennifer Yu still hadn’t let go of his hand. “I’m not sure if I should be propositioning you to co-write something with me, or if I should be running home to write a musical designed for your voice. It was like hearing angels sing. Sexy angels. Not that I’m hitting on you, that would be creepy, it’s just that your voice has this quality that’s transcendent and carnal at the same time. How do you do that?”

“I’d tell you my secret, but since it involves a pact with the devil, my tongue is tied.”

“With that face? I don’t believe you for one second.”

By the end of the night, Kurt had more business cards than he could fit into his wallet. He tied them together with a rubberband and put them in the side pocket of his satchel, instead.

“This play is opening a lot of doors for you, isn’t it?” Blaine took Kurt’s hand as they walked toward the subway.

Kurt nodded. “It’s kind of hard to wrap my head around.”

“That’s why you came to New York, right? Because you weren’t satisfied to be the most interesting kid in all of Ohio? Your dreams have always been bigger than that.”

“They have been. But I’m not sure I ever expected I could really get them.”

Blaine stopped in the middle of the sidewalk. “Really? But you always seem so … confident. Sure of yourself. That’s something I envy about you, actually. You know what you want. You never stop believing in yourself.”

“I’ve always believed I had something to offer. But I never really trusted that other people would see it too. They sure didn’t in Lima.”

“Some people did.”

“ _You_ did.” Kurt squeezed Blaine’s hand. “I’ll always be grateful for that. But that other people would see it? I _hoped_ for it. I had to, just to survive Lima. But I never really _believed._ ”

They resumed their walk toward the subway. Above the music of the city—rushing motors and car horns, the click-clack of shoes against sidewalks, the patter of passersby—Kurt began to [sing](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8EYVepDBAC0):

 _I have often dreamed of a far off place_  
Where a great warm welcome would be waiting for me,  
Where the crowds will cheer when they see my face  
And a voice keeps saying, this is where I'm meant to be.

“Speaking of far-off places,”Blaine said, “ have you thought anymore about Paris this summer? Or were you waiting until you were done with school to think about it?”

Kurt took a deep breath. “I want to do it. Maybe it’s not exactly as I planned things, but if I didn’t do it? I might regret that for the rest of my life. Besides –” Kurt gave Blaine a sly look. “– I hear Parisian _pain au chocolat_ are even better than cronuts. I was hoping that would entice you to come along.”

Blaine leaned in and kissed Kurt on the cheek. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

 _I will beat the odds._  
I can go the distance.  
I will face the world fearless, proud, and strong.

“You always do,” Blaine whispered.

_I know every mile will be worth my while.  
I will find my hero's welcome right where I belong._

–––––––––––––––––-

Lackland Air Force Base, Texas

–––––––––––––––––-

Puck had been sitting on the couch for hours, waiting for Lauren to finish up her shift at The Singin’ Alamo. He’d tried to distract himself with the new _Daredevil_ series on Netflix, but even the graphic depiction of a bad guy getting his head bashed in failed to catch his attention. In his mind, he kept playing the scene from earlier in the evening:

_Puck walked into The Singin’ Alamo and sat down in front of the bar. Lauren was the bartender tonight. She smiled and pulled a bottle of his favorite beer out of the cooler._

_“I’m being reassigned to Japan,” he blurted out._

_The bottle slipped from Lauren’s hand and shattered on the floor. “Cheeses criminy!” Lauren blurted out as the beer splashed up onto her jeans. The bar had a strict no-profanity rule, and Lauren had found creative ways to stick to it even in situations as dire as this._

_Puck pulled himself butt-first onto the bar and was getting ready to climb over it when Lauren held up her hand in the universal ‘stop’ signal. “Hold your horses, soldier. It doesn’t take more than one barkeep to clean up a mess like this.”_

_“Are you ok? Did you get cut?”_

_She shook her head. “There’s a reason the boss requires us to wear close-toed shoes. Now get back where you belong so I can clean up.”_

_“But it’s my fault.”_

_“If you’re going to to spend the rest of the night freaking out, you should go home, because I can’t deal with that when I’m at work.” She said it matter-of-factly, not like the threat the same words would have sounded like coming from Nana Connie or his mother or Quinn when they were still in high school. It felt bad, anyway. Puck was supposed to be a man. He was supposed to be strong. The prospect of losing his girlfriend—his **wife** —shouldn’t have him so worked up._

_“Fine,” he snapped. “Be that way.”_

_“Alright,” she said calmly. “I will.”_

_Puck stared at her, trying to think of more angry words to say. But he couldn’t think of anything._

_“I’ll come by your place after your shift and we can talk, ok?”_

_Puck stormed out of the bar._

Puck heard the key in his apartment door. He’d given it to Lauren right after the wedding. They hadn’t been able to move in together yet—each of them had roommates, and Puck was still waiting for his married housing request to move through the base hierarchy. The request probably wouldn’t move anywhere now. He was leaving for Tokyo in six weeks.

Puck flicked off the television and stood up from the couch, brushing the wrinkles out of his sweats so maybe he wouldn’t look as pathetic as he felt.

“Do you want to get a divorce?” Puck said before Lauren was even halfway through the door.

“Jesus Christ, Puck. That’s no way to start a conversation.” Lauren closed the door behind her and dropped her purse on the TV stand. “How about asking me how my shift went and offering to get me a drink?”

Puck cleared his throat. “Do you want something to drink?”

“A glass of water would be good.”

Puck walked over the the open kitchenette and took a clean glass out of the dishwasher. He grabbed the water pitcher out of the refrigerator and started to pour. His hands were shaking, and he spilled some of the water that had been meant for the glass onto the counter. “Ice or no ice?”

“No ice.” Lauren flopped down onto the couch, her feet propped up on the ottoman. “Nice to finally be sitting. I’ll never understand how my legs get more achy from standing at work all day than from working out.”

“Happens to me, too.” Puck walked over to her and handed her the glass, but couldn’t bring himself to sit down. There was a certain intimacy in sitting next to a person. And since she was about to dump him, it just seemed rude. “How was work?”

“Strange. My husband came in to announce he’d been reassigned to Japan, I dropped a beer bottle which I almost never do, and then he got all testy like he was trying to start a fight or something.” She patted the space on the sofa next to her. “You going to sit down?”

Puck looked at the empty spot on the couch, then at Lauren. It was the first time he’d looked at her face since she’d walked in. He’d been avoiding it, because he hated the look she used to get in her eyes in high school when she was disappointed in him. He hadn’t seen it in a long time, and he didn’t want to see it now.

But when he met her eyes, disappointment wasn’t what he saw. Her look was mostly affection, with some wry amusement thrown in.

He sat down next to her. “So … you don’t want to get a divorce?”

“Again, that’s no way to lead into a conversation. Start over, Puckerman.”

Puck was flummoxed. “But how? Your wrestling career is taking off. I have to go to Tokyo. You’re not going to give up your career for me. I’m not stupid enough to think that you would. And even if I thought you would, I wouldn’t want you to. So we’re not going to see each other for at least three years. I don’t see why you would want to stay married to an idiot like me when you’ll have guys falling all over you at every match.”

Lauren gave him a slow, assessing look. “How about, ‘Hey Lauren. I’ve been reassigned to Tokyo. Do you want to come with me?’”

“Well, that’s a stupid question to ask when I already know the answer.”

She rolled her eyes. “Humor me.”

“Fine.” Puck rolled his eyes back at her. “Hey Lauren. I’ve been reassigned to the air force base outside of Tokyo. Where people speak Japanese and write in scribbly little letters that are impossible to read, and they eat ice cream made out of kidney beans. Sounds like paradise. Wanna go with me?”

“Funny you should ask, Puck. I’ve always wanted to go to Japan.”

“Are you crazy? I mean, I love you, but –” He looked down at his feet, trying to think of the right words to explain what he was feeling. Puck wasn’t great with words. They made him feel clumsy and stupid. He could never think of the right ones, and how to put them together right. He’d hurt Quinn with the wrong words so many times when she’d been pregnant. He’d hurt Finn, too, although Finn always forgave him for it.

“But what?”

“Loving you means I want you to be happy. And what makes you happy is wrestling. I couldn’t live with myself if you gave that up to come to Japan with me.”

Lauren patted his leg. She had this look on her face like she was trying to comfort a scared child. “Did you know that one of the best pro wrestling schools in the world is located in Tokyo?”

 _Um, no,_ Puck tried to say, but he choked on his words and it came out more like _uhhhhh-pause-cough-hlechhhh._

“I’ve been studying all the Japanese words for different wrestling moves since I was eight. I used to collect comic books from their women’s wrestling league.”

Puck didn’t even try to speak now. He let the bewildered look on his face do all the talking. It said something like, _Whoa, what the fudge?_ , except with a more colorful word inserted for _fudge._

“ _Konbanwa_ _gaijin_.”

“Is that the word for _suplex_?”

“No. It means _good evening, foreigner._ I figured I should learn some regular stuff, too, just to get around in case I ever went there. I’m not fluent and my accent probably sucks, but I guess I know more than most whities.”

“So wait—are you saying you want to go to Japan? With me?”

“I married you, didn’t I?”

“Yeah, but we didn’t talk about any of this. We just did it.”

Lauren shrugged. “It’s not like I didn’t know what I was getting into. I figured you’d get sent away sooner or later. And I figured when that happened, I’d either stay here and keep living my life and be really happy when you came back, or I’d go with you and be happy I was along for the ride.”

Puck stared at her, stunned. This wasn’t how he’d planned this conversation to go at all. Lauren was supposed to demand a divorce, and he was supposed to pissily acquiesce, and there were supposed to be slammed doors and harsh words and hurt feelings. And other than signing the divorce papers together, they would never see each other again, because it would hurt Puck too much to look at her once he knew she never really meant to marry him in the first place—which of course she didn’t because the important people in Puck’s life always disappeared sooner or later—Beth, his dad, Shelby, Finn.

“What’s up, Puckerman? You look like you accidentally swallowed an ice cube.”

“You’re staying.” Puck’s voice was barely audible. “With me.”

Lauren took his hand. “Yes. I’m staying.”

Puck was as dazed as if Lauren had just done a piledriver wrestling move on him. “You love me.”

“Of course I do, you dolt.” She leaned over and kissed him. He was still in too much shock to really respond. She pulled away, gave him a pitying look. “Isn’t it kind of obvious?”

Puck thought about it. In some ways it _was_ obvious—the way she looked at him, the way she laughed at his stupid jokes, the way she took time to tell him how to improve the punchlines on his even stupider ones. And their chemistry—well, that was off the charts.

But it still wasn’t easy to wrap his head around. “I just—you’re so _independent_. I don’t understand how someone as strong as you could need someone like me. Could need anybody at all.”

“You’re right. I don’t _need_ you, Puck. I don’t _need_ anyone. It's not like my life sucks without you. I mean, there was this short self-pitying phase I went through senior year of high school, but that was mostly Tina Cohen-Chang’s fault. Other than than, things have great. I’ve been making friends. I’ve been pursuing a career that I love.”

“See, I told you. You’re better off without me.”

“Puck, shut up and let me finish. Yes, my life has been pretty good. But since you came back into my life, it’s been even better. It's like that _Avengers_ movie we just saw. The first time, we saw it in IMAX, and we’re like, ‘Damn, that’s awesome!’ But then the next week we saw it in IMAX 3D, and it was mind-blowing. I would have been happy just seeing it in IMAX, but now that I’ve seen it in 3D? I don’t ever want to go back, Puck. 3D is where it’s at for me.”

“I swear, that’s the most romantic thing anyone’s ever said to me.”

“Well stick around, kid, because there’s a lot more where that comes from.” She stood up from the couch and pulled him up after her, [singing](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BqGTb4ZFAS8),

_I can show you the world—shining, shimmering, splendid  
Tell me, princess, now when did you last let your heart decide?_

Puck smiled. He was being serenaded with a Disney song. It didn’t matter that Lauren’s voice was rough around the edges or that she’d called him “princess.” No one had ever treated him like this: like he was a marvel.

 _A whole new world, a hundred thousand things to see –_  
I'm like a shooting star, I've come so far.  
I can't go back to where I used to be.

They were moving forward in their lives, supporting each other through thick and thin. Puck was the luckiest man on earth.

 _A whole new world with new horizons to pursue._  
I'll chase them anywhere. There's time to spare.  
Let me share this whole new world with you.

**–––––––––––––––––-**

Breakneck Film Festival, The American Palace Theater, New York City

**–––––––––––––––––-**

Artie had shut himself in the wheelchair-accessible bathroom of the American Palace Theater. He was staring sternly at his reflection in the mirror. “You are not going to freak out, Artie Abrams. You are an artist. You have a vision. If people don’t like you, they can go screw themselves.”

He had just spotted Professor Finch in the theater’s lobby. Professor Finch, who thought that Artie was putting too much of himself into the film. Professor Finch, who didn’t want Artie’s story or vision, who didn’t want the discomfort of acknowledging his wheelchair.

Professor Finch was going to see his film and hate it. As an opinionated man, he’d probably stand up during Artie’s discussion panel at the end of the evening and let the rest of the audience know it. And maybe they’d all agree with him. It was easier for most people to go on pretending that disabilities didn’t exist. Those who were willing to acknowledge it, who didn’t treat Artie like he was completely invisible, still didn’t want to hear about how his disability affected every aspect of his life. How it could separate him from other people and altered the way he saw the world. They wanted him to pretend that he was just like them.

[Look at me. You may think you seewho I really am but you'll never know me.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6nvdNIVfgg)

He wasn’t just like them. And he wasn’t going to pretend for their benefit.

_I wear a mask I can fool the world  
But I cannot fool my heart._

And then there were the people who saw _only_ his wheelchair. They didn’t see a man with hopes or dreams. They saw a cripple. A sad sack who could be so much more, if only he could walk.

_Who is that man I see staring straight back at me? When will my reflection show who I am inside?_

But everybody understood what it felt like to feel alienated from other people, to be underestimated, to not be able to do things they longed to do. Most people had seen a dream or two burn to ashes. Perhaps, then, they would connect with a story by a boy who had taken the ashes of his burnt dreams and built something even brighter from them.

_I will show the world what's inside my heart  
And be loved for who I am._

**–––––––––––––––––-**

Between the Covers Bookstore, Los Angeles

**–––––––––––––––––-**

Sam arrived at Between the Covers Bookstore before it even opened for the day. His book signing wasn’t scheduled to begin until the afternoon, but he was too worked up to stay still at home all morning. As it was, he’d already taken Chewbacca to the dog park _twice._ Sam knew it was time to get out of the house when he’d called Chewbacca to the front door a third time with an excited, “Hey, Chewie, want to go to the park?” and Chewie didn’t move an inch from where she was curled up in her cozy little dog bed.

Fortunately, Sam only had to wait in the parking lot 10 minutes before the front doors opened.

“It’s always nice seeing someone so eager to find a new book to read,” said the clerk when Sam skip-walked into the store.

“I have a book that just came out,” Sam said. “ _Accidental Heroes?_ You guys have it, right? Because I’m supposed to do a signing this afternoon and—”

“You’re Sam Evans!” The clerk held out a hand for Sam to shake. “I’m so excited to meet you! I’ve been reading _Accidental Heroes_ since you first started putting it up on Tumblr. There should be quite the crowd here this afternoon. We’ve been talking up the signing all week.” The clerk reached under the counter and pulled out a copy of the new book. “I bought my copy as soon as our shipment came in. Would you mind signing it? Or should I wait in line like everybody else?”

“I can sign it now,” Sam said. “Hopefully by the time afternoon rolls around, you’ll be too busy selling these to be able to stand in line.”

The hours went by quickly, with Sam burying himself in the graphic novel section. He couldn’t believe the display the store had made for his books, that they’d thought he was good enough to shelve next to people like Alison Bechdel, Will Eisner _,_ Art Spiegelman, Marjane Satrapi and Allie Brosh. Their books were like the Shakespeare of graphic novels. His stuff was just superheroes and laughs. He texted Mercedes, who was in meetings with her manager and studio execs most of the morning.

**Sam: I don’t know what I’m doing here.**

**Mercedes: Where?**

**Sam: The bookstore. I got here early.**

**Mercedes: You’re there to sign your books, bb.**

**Sam: Yeah. I know *that*. I just meant, this bookstore has a really huge graphic novel section and I’ve been looking through them and they’re all alot better than mine.**

**Mercedes: You make people laugh. That’s the most important thing in the world.**

**Sam: You really think so?**

**Mercedes: Yes, I do.**

**Sam: Thanks, Mercedes.**

**Mercedes: Can’t wait to see you this afternoon. So proud of you.**

A boisterous “Hello, famous published author Samuel Evans!” jerked Sam’s attention away from both the books and the phone. It was his agent, Janelle Dalca, skipping toward him in a _Star Wars_ t-shirt and blue jeans. Sam looked down at his own t-shirt—a brown ring-neck that said “Talk Wookiee to Me” in yellow letters. It had been a birthday present from Mercedes, “to go along with the dog,” she’d said.

“Janelle,” Sam said seriously, “I thought me and my dog were twins in a past life. But now I’m starting to think maybe you were our twin, too. Which means we’d be triplets.”

Janelle cocked her head thoughtfully. “We could have been austropedes,” she said, referring to ostrich-like creatures from _Avatar_ ’s planet Pandora. “They give birth to litters.”

“Dude! That totally makes sense! No wonder Na’avi was so easy for me to learn.”

By the time everything was set up for the signing, there was a line so long it was trailing out the front door. Sam leaned over and whispered to Janelle, “There must be at least a hundred people here.”

“More like three hundred.”

“Is someone else having a signing here, too?”

“ _Kehe, tsmukan,_ ” Janelle said, using the Na’avi word for _No, brother._ “It’s just you. They’re here for you.”

**–––––––––––––––––-**

Breadstix, Lima

**–––––––––––––––––-**

Marley was squished into a Breadstix booth between Unique and Jake. Across from them, Ryder, Kitty, and Sugar were similarly smooshed together.

“Why did we come here? This place is so crowded today,” Ryder complained.

Kitty elbowed him sharply in the ribs. “We came here because we all just graduated and it would be lame to just go straight home, and there’s nowhere else to go in this town.”

“Right,” Jake grinned.

Sugar sniffed. “At least they don’t play lame elevator music here,” she noted. “And they let us put on shows and stuff. It’s a good place for a farewell dinner.”

“Which we definitely needed, since you’ are leaving us in three days!” Unique said pointedly.

“Well, my daddy thought that traveling in Europe would be good for me. To make me culturally literate and everything.” She leaned low over the table. “I get to visit Rory! He used to go to McKinley but then he got deported back to Ireland. None of you got to meet him, but I’m pretty sure I would have been in love with him if he’d stayed.”

Marley squinted at her. Sugar didn’t always make sense, and sometimes it wasn’t worth asking questions because the answers often didn’t make sense either.

“Well, guys, this is it,” Jake announced. “This summer is the end of an era. In a few months we’ll all be spread all over the place. We have to make sure we do a few fun things together before it gets away from us.”

Kitty leaned low across the table to wink at Unique, and the two of them [burst into song simultaneously](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFatVn1hP3o&feature=youtu.be&t=24s).

 _Bees they buzz, kids'll blow dandelion fuzz  
_ _And I'll be doing whatever snow does in summer._

Jake stood up, strutting back and forth pretending to hold a drink, and sliding a hand across his face as though checking his complexion as he sang.

_A drink in my hand, my snow up against the burning sand,  
Prob'ly getting gorgeously tanned in summer._

Marley held her hand to her face but it did nothing to stifle the laugh beneath it. Unique didn’t even try to hide her uproarious laughter.

Ryder sidled up to Jake and took over the next line, striking a confident pose but unable to keep his own laughter entirely under control.

_And I can't wait to see, what my buddies all think of me.  
Just imagine how much cooler I'll be in summer._

Marley got up on the podium at the end of the room, arms spread wide, and let her voice fill the space. Most of the patrons of Breadstix were already watching them, but anyone who hadn’t been before was definitely paying attention now.

_When life gets rough, I like to hold on to my dream,  
Of relaxing in the summer sun, just lettin' off steam._

The rest of the group joined her on the stage, grinning and gesturing out to the room as their impromptu audience broke into applause.

 _Oh the sky will be blue,_  
and you guys will be there too  
_When I finally do what frozen things do in summer._

**–––––––––––––––––-**

Lackland Air Force Base, Texas

**–––––––––––––––––-**

Puck’s roommate woke them both up at 5 a.m. the next morning as he came back from his night shift. He always tried to be quiet, but the plumbing to the shower ran through the wall right behind Puck’s headboard. Puck usually put earplugs in before going to sleep but had forgotten to the night before because he’d been distracted by Lauren being in the bed with him. And now he was distracted again. How was he ever going to get any sleep when they moved in together?

They had a romantic breakfast of Kix and Cocoa Puffs. “I’ll talk to my agent and my coach today about Japan, see who they can refer me to over there. I’ll still have to do the matches I’ve agreed to here in the States, and I might have to fly back and forth every once in a while, but I think this can work. Sadly, I’ll have to leave my job at The Singin’ Alamo, though.”

“I’m sure there’s a karaoke bar on base that could use a hand.”

“Hopefully I’ll be making enough that I won’t have to do that. We’ll see.”

“I still can’t believe that you want to come with me.”

“If you keep saying that, I’m eventually gonna get offended, you know. It kind of comes across as you not trusting me.”

Puck shook his head. “That’s not it at all. It’s just that I’m used to people not sticking around, you know? My dad, of course. And Finn, but I feel bad for thinking that because it’s not like it’s his fault. And my daughter—I know it’s better that I’m not raising her, but I wish I could at least see her every once in a while.”

“Shelby won’t let you?”

“You know how things ended with me and Shelby. She never wanted to see me again. She said I was a reminder of her big mistake as a teacher and a parent.”

Lauren leaned back in her chair. “That was three years ago. Maybe she’s chilled out by now. And anyway, it’s not her you’d be asking to see. It’s Beth.”

Puck stirred his Cocoa Puffs thoughtfully. “Maybe I’ll talk to Quinn. See if she’s made any more contact with Shelby. I know they were texting each other every now and then. Maybe she could feel Shelby out for me.” He looked up. “Unless—maybe you don’t want me talking to my ex-girlfriend?”

“Oh my god, how insecure do you think I am?”

“You’re right. That was a stupid question.”

“Maybe not stupid. But she’s the mother of your child. Of course you should talk to her.” She leaned in. “And besides, she’s got a really skinny ass. She’s no competition for your fat-bottomed girl.”

“I thought you hated that song.”

“People change.” She lifted a spoon of Kix to her mouth. Puck wished he was the spoon.

“I’m so glad I married you.”

She smiled. “Me too.”

**–––––––––––––––––-**

The American Palace Theater, New York City

**–––––––––––––––––-**

The whole evening went much better than Artie could have ever hoped. There was extended applause as the closing credits to his film rolled. The questions during his panel discussion were really smart and gave Artie a chance to show off his extensive knowledge about the history of dance in film. Audience members got up and talked about how they’d never thought of themselves as dancers—maybe they were told that they had two left feet as kids, or that dancing wasn’t macho enough, or that they had to starve themselves in order to be any good. But the movie showed them how dance was a natural part of the human condition. It was for everybody.

Best of all, Professor Finch did not stand up during the panel and denounce him.

Rachel greeted him with flowers when he came down from the stage. “I know you think you’re too manly for flowers, but we are in the arts, and this is how artists show appreciation for one another.”

Kurt and Blaine handed him a bottle of Macho Man Casa Rojo Monastrell red wine. “We didn’t want to offend your butch sensitivities,” Kurt said. “So no flowers or rosé for you.”

“I think you have to be gay to be butch,” Artie said. “But thanks, this looks amazing.”

“Bi guys can be butch too,” Blaine said.

Artie glared at him. “That’s Kurt’s shtick.”

“Kurt and I are practically married. So we share shticks,” Blaine said so innocently that Artie was left wondering whether he’d hallucinated the innuendo.

Mike came running down the aisle from the back of the theater and patted Artie on the back. “My man! You sure know how to make me look good on the big screen.”

“You don’t need me to look good, brah.”

“No, but seriously. A couple of days ago I got a call from a talent scout for a dance company. He saw me in the Hedwig revue earlier this month and called and said they were interested in me. And I told him about this film—never dreaming that he would actually show up to see it. But he did, and I just talked with him a few minutes ago, and he _loved_ the film, and he loved me in it, and he didn’t just say that they’d love to have me come try out for the company. He made me a concrete job offer.” Mike paused his spiel to catch up on his breathing. “Like, a paid offer. For dancing. This film helped me get that, Artie!”

“That’s awesome! Good thing I brought you flowers, too!” Rachel said, thrusting a bouquet of daisies at Mike.

Artie was about to make a flower-based innuendo when a gruff voice came from behind him.

“Arthur!”

Artie turned his chair and took a deep breath, trying to be prepared for whatever came next. “Hello Professor Finch.”

“Arthur, that was quite the film.” Finch looked a little out of place here amongst the hipsters. He might have fit in better in a musty, ivy-covered university, with his thick glasses, balding head, and brown patches on the elbows of his non-ironic tweed jacket. Artie was used to him now though, and no longer paid much attention to those details. Instead he watched the man’s face for a hint as to whether he was using that comment to compliment the film or put it down.

“Thank you?” Artie said hesitantly.

“I worried when you brought me your first draft,” Finch went on. “It was boring as hell. It never would have made it to a place like this.” He gestured around at the festival paraphernalia.

“I know you told me to take out that scene,” Artie blurted. “You said it would make people uncomfortable, and that it was too much… But it was important to me. So I made some other adjustments to the script so that I could keep it. I know it was taking a risk but—”

“If you never take a risk, you’ll never get anywhere in the world, Arthur,” Finch said with a smile. “I have been doing this for a long time, and it is a rare thing for a student to disregard my advice. However, in doing so you have made yourself stand out.”

“Aaaand that’s a good thing?” Artie realized.

“Absolutely, that’s a good thing!” Finch agreed. “You followed your gut, and your gut was right. The advice of someone who has read all the books is good for someone who will only ever follow the books. But you have an instinct, boy, and that instinct will serve you better than all the book learning there is.”

Artie just stared at his professor. Behind him, Rachel squealed and Blaine put a supportive hand on his shoulder, and oh, he had forgotten that all his friends were standing right here hearing everything that Finch was saying.

“So I got a passing grade on it then?” Artie dared to ask.

Finch guffawed. “A passing grade? Good god. You aced this thing Arthur. If I could give you better than a perfect score I would.” He awkwardly slapped Artie on the shoulder. “You are going places in this world. I hope you’ll see fit to send us an announcement when your next film comes out. I’d like to see it.”

Artie’s jaw hung open as Professor Finch wandered off toward the open bar.

**–––––––––––––––––-**

Between the Covers Bookstore, Los Angeles

**–––––––––––––––––-**

“Please sign that, ‘ _To the best girlfriend ever.’”_

Sam looked up to see Mercedes smiling down at him. She had on reading glasses, was wearing an oversized _Star Trek: The Next Generation_ t-shirt she’d borrowed from Sam’s dresser, and had her hair pulled back in a ponytail. People had started to recognize her almost every time she went out in public, so she now dressed this way whenever she didn’t want to draw attention to herself.

“It already says that,” he said, turning to _Accidental Heroes’_ dedication page. “Because I wanted the world to know.” He leaned across the table for a kiss and someone in line behind Mercedes let out a congratulatory whoop. “Good disguise, by the way,” he whispered as he broke away.

“Great,” Janelle mumbled when the kiss was over. “Now _everybody’s_ going to expect one of those in addition to a signature.”

“Ooh, I didn’t think of that.” Sam shot up out of his seat and called to everyone in line, “Hey, everybody. This is the best girlfriend ever. She’s the only one who gets that treatment.”

A sigh of disappointment swelled through the crowd, except for a lone female voice that said, “Thank god. I can’t think of anything worse than kissing that trouty mouth.”

“Oh, come on, Santana, his lips aren’t that bad. They taste like Doritos and ranch dressing.” Brittany leaned out to the side of the line and gave Sam a little wave. “Hi Sam! Now that you’re famous, will you be my guest on _Fondue for Two?”_

–––––––––––––––––-

An Off-Broadway Theater, New York

**–––––––––––––––––-**

The cast of _Oklahoma!_ was abuzz with rumors.

“That’s so unprofessional of her to be late. I mean she is playing Laurie, and the lead actors should be setting the example of being on time. Especially with only a week left until opening night!”

“Oh, she’s not late, she’s not coming at all!”

“What?”

“I heard she’s really sick.”

“Ha! I heard she got into a fight with Julian!”

“No!”

“Yes! And now she is refusing to go on stage with him!”

Rachel sat on the side, listening to the chatter but not participating. Cast rumors were common, but they also distracted from a quality performance, so Rachel didn’t have time for them.

As the rehearsal start time came and went, the actors stretched and went through their vocal warm ups again, and milled about restlessly as they waited to find out what was going on. Finally the director called everyone to the stage.

“I’m afraid I have some bad news,” he explained without preamble. “Our lead actress has come down with mono, and is going to be unable to continue with the show.”

A murmur rose among the assembled actors.

“Unfortunately, her understudy is also very ill–”

“I betcha they gave it to each other,” the girl next to Rachel whispered. “I’ve caught them making out backstage a dozen times before.”

“–so now we have six days until opening night, but no Laurie,” Mr. Zandowski continued. “I apologize that we are late getting started tonight, but I have just spent the last hour on the phone with the producer, trying to come up with an idea for how to save this show. Thus far we have nothing. Therefore, I’m afraid that the show has to be cancelled due to extenuating circumstances. I’m very sorry.”

A gasp, a hush, and then cacophony broke out among the crowd. Cancelled?! What were they to do now? People spoke rapidly to each other on every side. In the middle, Rachel was an oasis of calm. Carefully she picked her way between castmates’ legs and feet to make her way up to the director.

“Mr. Zandowski?”

“Yes?” He looked frazzled.

“You don’t have to cancel the show.”

“How’s that?”

“I know Laurie’s part. I started learning it when I was six, and I have been reviewing it—as well as Ado Annie’s—ever since I was cast. I know the role. I can do it for you.” She hesitated for a moment before humbly adding, “if you want me.”

“You know the role,” he repeated.

“Yes, but if anyone else feels like they could do it of course you should consider them too…” Her words were rushed and her heart was pounding so hard that she wasn’t sure if they all came out coherently.

“You know all of Laurie’s lines…”

“Yes.”

“All her songs…”

“Yes, sir.”

“All the blocking and choreography?”

“Yes, even the dream ballet. I’ve been at every rehearsal and I have years of ballet experience and I’ve watched it enough times I’m sure I can do it.”

“Hmmm.” He looked her carefully up and down. “Well, we have everyone here. And you have never let me down before. Let’s give it a try. Let’s run through the show today with you as Laurie. If you can’t do it, we’re no worse off, but if you can, you may save the day.”

“Oh, thank you, thank you Mr. Zandowski!” She gritted her teeth as she smiled in an effort to contain her excited energy as she turned to go.

“And Rachel?”

“Yes?” she turned back to him.

“I’ve seen your star quality. I think you are capable. I’m looking forward to this.”

\---

Before they started the run-through, Mr. Zandowski had asked whether there was anyone who had a problem with Rachel trying the role of Laurie, or who also wanted to be considered to play it. His proposal was met with blank stares and dead silence. So he had shrugged and said “looks like it’s all yours Rachel. Show us what you can do.”

And boy had she. She had remembered every line, hit every note, and been in the right place for almost every dance step. (Julian—who was now her new co-lead—had easily agreed to meet with her for an extra dance rehearsal the next day to go over the dream ballet a few times. She had done pretty well, but it was more complicated than it looked and she had struggled with a couple of parts. He had even winked at her when he told Mr. Zandowski that he didn’t mind spending the extra time working with her.)

Mr. Zandowski had smiled through the entire rehearsal, and he was on his feet applauding before they were even halfway through the finale number. “Rachel Berry,” he told her when they finished. “You are every bit the star that your reputation says you are. I took a risk when I cast you, and I took another risk when I let you try this tonight, but my risks have paid off. You are amazing. The role is yours.”

“Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you!” she cried, jumping up and down, looking like she was about to burst. For all of his bruskness, Mr. Zandowski’s face softened and he opened his arms just in time for her to fall gratefully into them for the hug she needed. “I won’t let you down, I promise. I know my past is a little tarnished, but I’ve learned my lessons and I’m not that person anymore. You won’t regret this!

**–––––––––––––––––-**

New York, NY

**–––––––––––––––––-**

“My god, Blaine, can’t you just tell me what the surprise is?” Kurt panted as Blaine pulled him along the sidewalk.

Blaine shook his head and walked faster.

“What are we doing next to The Crystal...” Kurt began, but then interrupted himself as Blaine took him around behind the building and pushed open one of the maintenance doors. “Blaine, what are you doing?!”

Blaine grinned at him. “Well, this one doesn’t lock very well, if you jiggle the handle a bit it usually comes right open.”

“I can see that, but why are we breaking into a theater? Oh god we’re breaking and entering!”

“Shh, Kurt, it’s ok,” Blaine assured him. “It’s ok for us to be here. Trust me.”

“If it were ok for us to be here I don’t think we’d have to break in,” Kurt muttered, looking around nervously as they went through the store room and out into that back hallway where Blaine had spent so much time.

“Please just come with me, and I will explain everything, I promise.”

So Kurt followed him out onto the stage. It was mostly dark, but a few safety lights were on in the corners and they gave off enough light that Kurt could see the grand piano in the center of the stage.

“What is that?” Kurt asked, pointing to the gift bow that was stuck on the piano. “We don’t even have room for our little upright piano in the new apartment, please tell me you didn’t buy this one?”

Blaine laughed. “No I didn’t, well, not exactly…” Kurt’s eyebrows rose as he looked at him, so Blaine cleared his throat and started from the beginning.

He explained about his father’s idea for buying the theater through his company, and how he would still make Blaine a partner, but now he would also be giving him full control over The Crystal. “Basically he wants to give this place to us, Kurt. As a wedding gift.”

As Blaine had been talking, Kurt’s eyes had been getting wider and wider and at the last statement his jaw dropped. “Your dad wants to _buy_ this place and _give it to us?_ ”

“Yes,” Blaine nodded.

“As a wedding present?”

“Yes.”

“Wow.” Kurt scratched his head and looked around for a moment before turning back to Blaine. “So what did you tell him?”

“Well, I didn’t give him an answer yet because I wanted to talk to you first, but I want to do it.” Blaine’s eyes were wide with hope, and they glistened as he watched for Kurt’s reaction.

Kurt was staring out into the rows of seats nodding slowly. “This is amazing, Blaine. I mean it is _so_ amazing. But it’s overwhelming too. I mean this is huge.” He turned back to look the other man in the eye. “What are we supposed to do with a theater?!”

“Well, it will take a couple of months for all the paperwork to be done,” Blaine noted. “Maybe longer. So we wouldn’t really need to think about it until we get back from Paris. And we still have school so of course our main focus would be there. But since it would be an investment property for the company, then I—we—could hire a building manager and start renting it out. I mean, I don’t know. Eventually I’d like to do so many things here. Kurt! I mean, shows of course. But also concerts, and classes, and summer camps for kids, and hosting special events for…”

“Whoa, whoa, slow down!” Kurt urged. “You have been thinking about this a lot, haven’t you?”

“Yes,” Blaine trailed his hand along the edge of the piano as he went and settled himself on the bench and gently placed his fingers on the keys. “There’s something so romantic about the idea of taking a place that has reached rock bottom, and helping it become beautiful again.” He licked his lips, trying to explain more clearly. “I mean, I think this place is still beautiful, even if it’s been a little neglected. This place has made dreams come true before, and it can do it again. I know it can!”

Kurt didn’t speak. He just stood contemplatively, watching Blaine as he began to [play and then to sing](https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=LgOdTNoR92E). His voice echoed in the large empty space, sounding almost small.

 _These walls and all these picture frames_  
_Every name, they show These halls,_  
_I’ve walked a thousand times_

So maybe it hadn’t been a thousand times in this theater, but somehow The Crystal represented so much more to Blaine than one show or one place. It was Dalton and his early days as lead singer for the Warblers. It was McKinley, where he had been in plays and competitions in both leading roles and supporting ones. It was NYADA, with difficult classes and strict teachers whose praise carried the weight of experience. The Crystal was summation of his fondest memories and his dearest dreams all rolled into one.

 _I look at everything I was_  
_And everything I ever loved_  
_And I can see how much I’ve grown_

The past had not always been kind, but Blaine had pushed through it and he knew he was stronger for it. He and Kurt often talked about how they were both stronger for having been through struggles (both professional and personal), and about how they had both helped each other so much with that journey. It wasn’t just the two of them either—though of course they turned to one another more than to anyone else anymore. Their families (even when their efforts were misguided or misunderstood) had always loved them and tried to support them. They had had teachers and friends.

 _This time no one’s gonna say goodbye_  
_I keep you in this heart of mine_  
_This time I know it’s never over_

In one year Kurt would graduate, in another year Blaine would, and then they would be out of the limbo of being college students. They would be fully fledged adults, taking on the world. That had been a frightening thought once, and Blaine's primary comfort had been knowing that at least he wouldn't be alone when that time came. But now he felt bigger, stronger, and older. He felt ready for the rest of his life to begin. He had the strength of his past and the steadiness of his present, and he knew his future might not be set in stone but whatever came next, he was ready for it.

 _I see how far I’ve come and what I got right_  
When I was looking for that spotlight  
I was looking for myself

Of course Blaine knew that no one else was there in the theater besides the two of them—and Kurt was just watching him without making a sound—but in his mind Blaine could see the seats filled with people, and he could hear the applause filling the air as he finished.

 _No matter who or what I am_  
_I carry where we all began_  
_This time that we had I will hold forever_

“Wow,” Kurt said softly.

Blaine looked up at him, his eyes coming into focus as their gazes met.

“This means a lot to you, doesn’t it.” It could have been a question, but it wasn’t. Kurt knew him too well for that.

“Yes.”

“Well,” Kurt took a deep breath, slowly turning in a full circle and taking in his full surroundings as though for the first time. “Owning a theater is something that I never—and I really mean _never_ —pictured as part of my life.” He paused for a moment, and Blaine just watched, waiting for him to continue. “However,” Kurt went on, turning back to look at Blaine, “sometimes life throws you opportunities. And sometimes they come in the form of a gorgeous, talented, amazing man saying that he wants to marry you, but oh by the way he wants a theater too.” Kurt shrugged but his eyes were twinkling. “How could I refuse an offer like that?”

Blaine burst out of his seat and embraced Kurt so tightly he began to gasp.

“But Blaine?”

“Yeah?”

“I think we should start by replacing the lock on that maintenance door.”  
  
–––––––––––––––––-–––––––––––––––––-–––––––––––––––––-–––––––––––––––––-  
  
Thank you so much for reading our Disney tribute! Many of you always wanted to see Glee do this and we hope we did it justice. Tune in next week for the lead up to our finale! 2 more regular episodes to go! 

[Find the episode stills here.](http://gleeseasonfix.tumblr.com/post/119122814016/stills-episode-20-were-almost-there-spring)

 

[](http://de.tinypic.com?ref=2a83jvs)   
[](http://de.tinypic.com?ref=2wr3kg2)   
[](http://de.tinypic.com?ref=2mxfuas)   
[](http://de.tinypic.com?ref=oh1obt)   
[](http://de.tinypic.com?ref=bhgm74)

Songs:   
  
Kurt: [I Can Go the Distance](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8EYVepDBAC0) (from Hercules)

Quinn: [Almost There](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljdAYTH5QSY) (from The Princess and the Frog)

Rachel: [When You Wish Upon a Star](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AmxtzsRgJts) (from Pinocchio)

Newbies (after Graduation): [In Summer](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFatVn1hP3o) (from Frozen)

Blaine: [This Time](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LgOdTNoR92E) by Darren Criss (Not Disney but Darren gets a pass) 

Puck and Lauren: [A Whole New World](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BqGTb4ZFAS8) (Aladdin)

Artie: [Reflection](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6SyMyHoSXc) (from Mulan)

Brittany: [Under The Sea](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WeGycrMGGkY) (from The Little Mermaid)

Sam and Mercedes: [Beauty and the Beast](https://youtu.be/c_xE9gKnUqM?list=PLExh04LaToPtHqfCVQppoQU5sUMRCz7bg) (from Beauty and the Beast)


	21. I'm Getting Married In the Morning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kurt and Blaine are getting married in a matter of days, and their old show choir friends are coming in from all over the country to spend time with them. Considering who is planning the bachelor parties, it’s either going to be wildly sexy, or possibly a house party trainwreck extravaganza. Maybe both.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written by [ gingerfic ](http://archiveofourown.org/users/gingerfic/pseuds/gingerfic) and [ Wowbright ](http://archiveofourown.org/users/wowbright/pseuds/wowbright)  
> Beta by [ HKvoyage ](http://hkvoyage.tumblr.com) and [ alwaysfallingforanidea ](http://alwaysfallingforanidea.tumblr.com/)
> 
> The writers recommend watching the “Hips Don’t Lie Medley” video, and imagining the characters doing something like that ;)

_Previously on Glee Season Fix…_

_Kurt and Blaine got engaged two years ago, and it’s taken so long for them to actually get hitched that in the meantime, Puck’s gone from being single to dating Quinn to going back to being just friends with Quinn to getting married to Lauren Zizes. (Oh, and remember the time when Puck was dating his teacher and the adoptive mother of his and Quinn’s bio-kid Beth? And how Shelby never wanted to speak to him again? Yeah. Awkward.)_

_Santana dated a bunch of ladies and had a bunch of horrible break-ups, including Dani, who is still friends with Kurt. Now Santana’s back with Brittany and they’re super-happy. Sam and Mercedes are living together in LA and Mike and Tina are having a secret long-distance relationship that no one knows about except Quinn._

_Confused yet? So are we._

_One things that’s not confusing: Kurt and Blaine are finally ready to tie the knot. Their friends and former classmates are gathering from all over the country to be with them. Blaine picked Cooper and Sam to be his attendants, while Kurt picked Rachel and Mercedes, but those four haven’t really agreed on what makes a good bachelor party. Cooper wanted to get penis everything, while Mercedes suggested something more...classy. And some people are old-fashioned sticks in the mud who think you can’t have a real bachelor party with both grooms present, so poor Kurt and Blaine have resigned themselves to being apart for the night. Thank goodness their friends don’t have to choose which bachelor party to go to. Rachel and Cooper decided that for them, too._

–––––––––––––––––

The Loft, New York City, Friday May 29, around 5:00 pm

–––––––––––––––––

Rachel arrived at the loft well before anyone else. She stopped at the door before going in, fishing in her large bag until she found [the paper she was looking for](http://40.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m0qo9hlO9k1qgly5oo1_1280.jpg). She carefully taped it up on the door before knocking and being let in.

In carefully calligraphed letters, the paper read “ _Spontaneous musical numbers ahead: be prepared to know all lyrics and choreography_.” Since it was on the outside of the door, Kurt and Blaine didn’t see it, but all the guests who arrived over the next hour did.

\---

“Why are we coming so early?” Warbler Trent asked Rachel as he and Wes arrived. “I’ve never heard of a bachelor party starting so early.”

“Because we’ve all been recruited to help them pack today, and move tomorrow, before the wedding on Sunday,” Rachel explained. “Basically we’re just free labor. But Blaine said it can count as our wedding present to them, since we’re mostly broke students.”

“I’m down with that!”

“Cheapskate,” Puck said as he breezed past them.

“Wes! Trent! I’m so glad you made it!” Blaine said as he embraced them one after the other.

“Well, I do go to Columbia,” Wes pointed out.

“NYU!” Trent chimed in. “So we’re kind of in town.”

“Right, why don’t we hang out more?”

“Because you’re insanely busy and so are we?” Wes suggested. They all laughed.

“Well I’m glad you’re here now,” Blaine said. “And a few of the other guys are coming too, I think they’ll trickle in over the next hour or two.

“Hey Blaine?” Trent asked conspiratorially. “Is good old step-touching ok or were you expecting something more elaborate?”

Blaine tilted his head and squinted at him. “Is what?”

“Don’t sweat it man,” Wes scruffed Trent’s hair. “I’m sure you’ll be fine. C’mon, let’s see what we can do about packing that kitchen, shall we?”

They hadn’t been packing for five minutes when Trent said, “You know what moving always reminds me of?”

“Um, putting things in boxes?” Blaine said.

Trent shook his head. “No. Well, yes. But also that Curtis Mayfield song. You know the one.”

“‘Move On Up?’” Wes smiled. “Indeed I do.” Wes [started to tap out the percussion line](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGR9bQh-kpk) with his hands and clicks of his tongue. Nodding in recognition, Blaine did horn melody.

“Wait,” Trent said. “I was going to do the background, Blaine. I figured you’d do the lead.”

Blaine shrugged. “Nah. Sometimes I get tired of Blaine and the Pips. You have a great voice. Sing for us?”

Trent smiled. He packed bowls to the rhythm of Wes’ percussion as he sang:

 _Hush now child and don't you cry_  
_Your folks might understand you by and by_  
 _So in the mean time, move on up towards your destination_

\---

When Santana arrived she marched straight to Kurt, dragging Brittany with her. “Is Dani coming?”

Kurt looked up from where he was carefully laying ties in a box. “What?”

“Dani, I know you two stayed friends. Is she coming tonight?”

“Yes.” He eyed her carefully. “Is that going to be a problem? I thought you two were ok?” He put his hands on his hips. “You told me you were ok.”

Santana bit her lip. “Well, we were ok so long as we weren’t seeing each other...She was here, I was in LA...that worked pretty well. We haven’t actually been in the same room anywhere since we broke up though, and that…”

Kurt’s mouth had formed into a little O as understanding dawned. “And that was pretty ugly.”

“We are both strong, opinionated women,” Santana confirmed. “I was a bitch and she was a bitch right back at me.It wasn’t pretty.”

“Santana’s going to make up with her though,” Brittany cut in. “Because even though they weren’t right for each other forever, they did take care of each other for a little while, and that’s a beautiful thing.”

Santana took her girlfriend’s hand and smiled at her.

_Bite your lip and take a trip  
Though there may be wet road ahead and you cannot slip Just move on up for peace you will find._

\---

_Remember your dreams are only schemes, so keep on pushing._

“So,” Mike murmured to Blaine. “I guess it’s a good thing I’m quick with new choreography, huh?”

Blaine squinted at him. “What?”

Mike did a few quick steps and a spin. “I’m ready at any moment!” he sang as he sashayed into the back room to help Kurt with the wardrobe. Kurt had established in advance that only certain people were allowed to touch his clothes and shoes, but Mike was one of the lucky few designees.

Blaine watched him go, then shrugged and went back to sorting sheet music.

\---

_Take nothing less—not even second best— You must have your say. You can pass the test._

Quinn stepped up next to Puck where he was putting DVDs into a box. “Where’s your wife?”

He grinned at hearing the word. “She has a match tonight, so she’s flying in tomorrow to be my +1 for the wedding.”

“Ah,” Quinn nodded. “Good, I’m glad she’s coming.”

“Me too.”

“Would she feel...weird? About you talking to me?”

Puck laughed hard. “Hell no! Lauren has nothing to worry about, and she knows it.”

Quinn smiled. “I’m glad. You’ve really grown up, Puck.”

“We all have.” He shrugged, looking around the room at all their other friends before turning back to her. “You know, I’ve been thinking. Do you think I’ve grown up enough to see Beth again?”

Quinn squeezed his hand. “You don’t have to be grown up to see Beth.”

“I know. But the way things ended with me and Shelby—” He ducked his head. “Well, you know all about that. I just wonder if she’ll ever think I’m trustworthy enough to be in Beth’s life again.”

“I’m the one who tried to get Shelby sent to prison, remember? And we’re on good terms now. I’m planning to have lunch with her and Beth tomorrow, actually.”

Puck looked up. “Really?”

“Yeah. Maybe you could come.”

“Shelby would never—”

“We’ve changed a lot in the last few years. So has Shelby. How about I text her and we go from there? If you’re not ready, I can tell her you had to go get Lauren from the airport or something.”

Puck swallowed heavily. “Go ahead and text her. I’m ready as I’ll ever be.”

\---

_Just move on up to a greater day, just a little faith and if you put your mind to it you can surely do it._

Santana stepped up beside Dani as she carefully wrapped knick-knacks in newspaper and set them in a box.

“Hi.”

Dani didn’t look at her. “Hi.”

“I,” Santana hesitated. “I’m glad you’re here. I’ve wanted to talk to you.”

Dani glanced up. “So talk.”

Santana met her gaze. “I’m sorry.” She began taking down the pieces of a china tea set, wrapping each carefully before putting them in the box.

Dani’s eyebrows rose, and she waited for Santana to continue.

“I’m sorry for the way things ended between us. I wasn’t very fair to you, and I wasn’t kind…”

Dani chuckled. “No, you weren’t.”

“I think…” she trailed off for a while, but Dani didn’t interrupt. “I think I was always in love with Brittany,” Santana admitted. “You were really good to me, and I’m glad we dated. I wasn’t trying to use you…”

“You know, Santana.” A playful half-smile teased across Dani’s mouth. “I could tell early on that it wasn’t going to last. I liked being friends, and I liked being a couple, but every time Brittany came up--just the way that you talked about her--I knew that sooner or later you’d end up back with her.” She reached out and put a hand on Santana’s shoulder. “You two have the real deal. You and I, we were just having some fun. It was nice while it lasted, but I don’t hate you for ending it.”

Santana blinked back the tears that were starting to form in her eyes. “You knew?” She wiped at her cheek. “I didn’t even know.”

“Self-awareness hasn’t always been your strongest point, you know.”

Their eyes met and they both giggled until Dani reached out her arms for a hug. “C’mere.”

Santana returned the embrace with surprise and relief.

“You _could_ have been a lot nicer about it though,” Dani said as they pulled apart. “I may have been unapologetically flirting with my roller derby teammates, but you flirt with your friends too--including the ones who don’t even like girls.” She poked Santana in the ribs and Santana bent to escape it.

“Ow!”

“I knew it wouldn’t last between us, can you blame me for keeping some options open?” She winked and turned back to the shelves, picking up a little glass bird.

Santana hung her head and sighed.

“So,” Dani continued. “Now that we’ve got all that out of the way, are we good?”

Santana grinned. “We’re good.”

“Good! Because that weird sculpture there looks heavy and I think maybe we should lift it down together.”

_Just move on up …_

–––––––––––––––––

around 7:00 pm

–––––––––––––––––

“Alright everyone, listen up,” Cooper hollered. “The boxes are stacked against the wall and everyone is here now, so it’s time to get this par-tay started!”

A round of cheers went up from the assemblage.

“So, those of you who are on the guest list for Blaine’s bachelor party, c’mon!” Cooper rolled the door open and gestured out into the hall.

“And Kurt’s will be here,” Rachel added enthusiastically. “We have a fabulous--and classy--evening planned. You’re going to love it.”

“Doesn’t it feel weird to go to be going to one dude’s bachelor party and not the other?” Artie muttered to Tina.

“I know,” she answered. “But when I said that to Rachel, she insisted the point of a bachelor party is to not be in the same place as your spouse-to-be. At least she and Cooper did the hard work and just told each of us which one we were going to. I know I used to complain all the time about Rachel being bossy, but sometimes it comes in handy.”

“Queen and King Bossy Pants,” Artie said. “Maybe they’ll hook up at the wedding.”

Tina laughed out her nose.”

“Cooper rented out a private room at Flame,” Sam explained as he headed for the door.

“Wait, you mean that new gay bar over by the Starbucks?” Kurt said. “That place is supposed to be pretty classy. I thought he’d go for a strip joint.”

“I ix-nayed on the strip joints,” said Sam. Blaine mumbled out a relieved _thank god._ “He’s really excited about having some brotherly and best manish duties, so we couldn’t just tell him no.”

“Ok kids, stop your yakking and let’s get this party rolling,” Puck called from near the door. “Is that everyone that’s supposed to be in this group? Cooper, me, Mike, Sam, and the old Gargler guys?”

“Warblers,” Tina said firmly. “And their names are Wes and Trent, which you’d know if you’d asked them.”

“I did ask them,” Puck retorted.

“Anyway, I’m coming,” Tina informed him.

“Me too,” Quinn chimed in.

Cooper poked his head back around the doorway and looked her up and down. “Nice!” Then he flashed a movie star grin to the remaining crowd, and rolled the door shut with a thud.

\---

After the door slammed shut there was a moment before the chatter resumed.

“Well then,” Rachel said. “I’m going to make some margaritas, and we can get started with Charades!”

“Yes!” Kurt clapped. “And the crudités are in the fridge,” he added as an aside to Mercedes. She nodded and got up to go get them.

Santana and Brittany looked at each other. Santana scrunched up her eyebrows and Brittany shrugged in return.

“Charades sounds fun to me!” Artie said. “And I happen to be a master of this game, so y’all better be ready to _bring it_!”

“Oh, it is _on_!!” Dani shouted.

Elliott laughed as Rachel started the blender.

–––––––––––––––––

around 8:00 pm

–––––––––––––––––

Santana had a frighteningly perky expression on her face and was doing stylized dance moves so awful, no one would ever have guessed she used to be the captain of the nation’s leading cheerleading team.

“A bad dancer!” Elliott called out as he bounced up and down on the edge of the couch.

Santana scowled and shook her head, then held up two fingers while glaring at Elliott meaningfully.

“Oh, yeah. Two words. I forgot.” Elliott squinched his eyebrows. “So maybe it’s ‘bad dancer’?”

“I was going to guess it was the Columbus High School Clovers, because they placed last in every regional cheerleading competition we ever did,” said Brittany. “But that’s four words.”

“It’s obviously Brandi Glanville,” Kurt said drolly as he took another sip of his margarita.

Santana rolled her eyes in disapproval.

“Maybe it’s that deaf choir,” said Mercedes. “I liked their signing, but they never actually danced, did they?”

“This game would be a lot easier if we were allowed to use sign language,” murmured Artie.

“You sign?” said Dani, who immediately launched into a long sentence with her hands.

“Um, not really,” said Artie. “Only enough to recite random John Lennon lyrics.” All the former New Directions but Santana joined in as he crooned and signed _Imagine all the people living life in peace ..._

Santana stomped her foot to get their attention, and brushed her hands together as if wiping herself clean from the sheer stupidity of their guesses. She cleared her throat to indicate that she was starting over, then pointed to Kurt before making wild, corkscrew-like gestures around her head.

“Blaine Anderson!” shouted all the players but Brittany, whose guess of “Broccoli head!” probably meant the same thing.

Santana shook her head and made another gesture, but no one paid much attention.

“Blaine’s so cute when his hair gets like that,” Kurt said fondly. He leaned against Elliott’s shoulder and sighed. “Isn’t he the cutest?”

“He’s positively dreamy, Kurt.” Elliott’s mouth twitched into an amused smile. He turned to Dani and mouthed, _How many margaritas has he had?_

 _I don’t know,_ Dani mouthed back. _He’s not usually this emotive._

“Guys, I can read your lips as well as you can,” Kurt said, “and I resent the implication that I have to be drunk in order to express affection for the love of my life. I’ll have you know that I express affection toward him in private all the time. Sometimes three times in one night.” He waggled his eyebrows before burying his face in Elliott’s shoulder and melting into a cascade of giggles.

“Oh my god, Kurt, you _are_ drunk.” Rachel stood up from her seat on the floor and gently removed the margarita from his hand.

“You can’t do that,” Kurt whined. “It’s my bachelor party, and I can drink as many margaritas as I want. They taste so _goood.”_

“Kurt, you told me and Rachel you wanted this to be a quiet, classy affair, remember?” Mercedes chimed in.

“It _is_ classy. Because everything I do is classy. I could get on top of the coffee table and do a striptease, and it would be classy.”

“Sure, honey.” Rachel patted Kurt on the head. “I’ll go make you a virgin. There’s so much sugar in these things you won’t even be able to tell the difference.”

“Too late to make me _a virgin,_ ” Kurt snickered. “On any count. Did I ever tell you how Blaine and I used to not be able to agree on the definition of _virgin_ , so after arguing about it for a few weeks we finally decided that the only way to resolve the issue was to have sex in all the ways we hadn’t yet and –”

Santana walked over and clapped her hand over Kurt’s mouth. “As much as I’d like to hear the story, Richard Simmons, if I let you say one more word you’ll hate all of us in the morning.”

Kurt’s eyes went wide and he started to speak excitedly, but the words were muffled against Santana’s palm.

“I’m not moving my hand unless you promise not to say anything more about your sex life.”

Kurt nodded his acquiescence. As soon as Santana removed her hand, Kurt leapt off the couch and shouted, “You cheated, Santana! You’re not allowed to talk! That’s why it’s called _charades!_ ”

Santana crossed her arms. “There were extenuating circumstances, Prancy Smurf. I was trying to save you from your own stupidity.”

“But you said the answer. Curly hair, awkward dancing, perky attitude – it’s Richard Simmons, isn’t it?”

Santana touched her nose. “You got it, Kewpie. Guess it’s your turn. But if you mime anything about Blaine’s ass, I swear I’ll take a video and show it to your children in 20 years.”

\---

Trent, Nick, David, Thad and Jeff Warbler bowed as they sang the final notes of Soft Cell’s “[Tainted Love](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERk4hbW4XIU).” Then Mike and Puck ran up to the microphone and started a three-part harmony of Kenny Rogers’ “[The Gambler](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jj4nJ1YEAp4).”

“Those guys like country?” Tina said.

Blaine, Sam and Cooper shrugged.

“I guess that just goes to show,” Quinn said, “you can sleep with someone on and off for years and still know nothing about them.” When Tina gave Quinn a scandalized look, Quinn just laughed. “I was talking about me and Puck. Not _both_ of them.”

“But _you_ could still sleep with both of them, squirt,” Cooper said with a pat to Blaine’s back. “Your singlehood is almost over. Last chance!”

Blaine rolled his eyes. “My singlehood was over long ago. Kurt’s the only one for me.”

Cooper sighed. “And I tried so hard to make this a good gay bachelor party.”

Cooper had reserved a private room in the back of Brooklyn’s hottest new gay bar with its own karaoke setup, lots of junk food, and easy access to the adjacent bar. Blaine and his party spread out across the room. Strings of fairy lights hung along the walls, and a large ceiling lamp cast the room in a tinted glow that changed colors every few minutes. Cooper had gone for a merman theme. There were sexy merman swizzle sticks, a merman cake, merman Christmas tree decorations hanging from the ceiling (Blaine’s favorites were the [construction worker merman](http://www.google.com/url?q=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fondooo.com%2Fhunky-construction-magnet.html&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFQjCNF9sCPc-6A4vtThhQxyY8dmW5lNiw) and the [martini-holding merman](http://thumbs4.ebaystatic.com/d/l225/m/mjKD6ex06FBs9ynsyvro06g.jpg)), as well as a [large merman poster](http://www.google.com/url?q=http%3A%2F%2Fdisinfo.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2013%2F04%2Fmerman.jpg&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFQjCNEiJE3vZGeEsojXNrFG8XZI6QolBQ) that Cooper said was for a game of “Pin the Tail on the Merman” that they weren’t allowed to start until they were sufficiently drunk.

“Please tell me he means ‘fish tail’ and not, um, the other kind of tail,” Blaine whispered to Sam as Cooper walked off to teach the Warblers the proper way to point.

“Definitely fish tails,” Sam said, joining Blaine in mimicking Cooper's pointing. “I mean, he’d wanted to do penises, but I told him you couldn’t do that with mermen because science hasn’t figured out yet their complete anatomy yet.”

Blaine smiled and squeezed Sam’s shoulder. “Sam, I am very glad to have a friend like you.”

"I also talked him out of the penis ice sculpture," Sam said. "I kept telling him that you would want things classy and fun, and he said ice sculptures were the classiest things he could think of."

"Thank you," Blaine mouthed back.

On the other side of Blaine, Tina stuffed two mozzarella sticks into her mouth. "Oh goh, deeze ah hawt!"

Blaine handed her a drink as Tina tipped her head back, holding her wide mouth open and panting.

"Thanks Blaine," Tina said between gulps when she had recovered.

“Kurt probably would have laughed at you for not blowing on that first,” Blaine mused.

"Did someone say 'blowing'?" Cooper was suddenly in front of them, thrusting a penis-shaped lollipop in Blaine face. "I know it's probably not as big as your fiancé's, but I can promise you it's tasty. I've been sucking on them all afternoon."

Blaine went pale. Sam and Tina snickered.

Cooper ploughed on. “They’re blue raspberry. That’s your favorite flavor, right?”

Blaine smiled, surprised. “You remember.”

“Of course I remember, squirt. We used to fight over the Jolly Ranchers every Halloween.”

“And you usually won,” Blaine said.

“Time I made up for that, don’t you think? In retrospect, it doesn’t seem fair that I made a kid 10 years younger than me arm-wrestle for his candy.”

Blaine felt suddenly overwhelmed. All he’d ever wanted from his brother was simply to be seen as the person he was—and now Cooper saw him. Blaine blinked back tears and threw his arms around his brother in a tight hug. “Thanks, Cooper.”

“I love you, squirt. I’m sorry I haven’t always been good at showing it. But I just want you to know, I’m really, really happy for you.”

After they broke their hug, Cooper passed out penis lollipops to everyone in the party. Puck was the first to open his. “Dude, it’s cool,” he said when Mike’s eyes went wide in surprise. “I don’t care what the candy’s shaped like as long as it tastes good. Anyway, I’m pretty sure Lauren has a secret fantasy about me with a penis in my mouth. You should probably take a picture and send it to her.” He licked its tip tentatively.

Mike fell over laughing.

–––––––––––––––––

around 9:00 pm

–––––––––––––––––

Kurt’s gestures made no sense at all. First, he appeared to be kneading bread-dough with his hands. But when his fellow party-goers screamed out—

“Bread dough!”

“Challah!”

“Bakery!”

“Cronuts!”

_“The Baker’s Wife!”_

_“Sweeney Todd!”_

—he threw his hands up in frustration.

“So it has nothing to do with bread or baking? And it’s not a musical?” Dani said.

Kurt tapped his nose to signal that she was correct on both counts. He then began to fluff an invisible pillow, although when Elliott called out “Pillow!” and Mercedes said “Down pillow with 400 thread count casing,” he laughed and shook his head. Then he began gyrating his hips.

“Hula hoop!’ squealed Rachel.

“What the hell does a hula hoop have to do with bread and pillows?” said Santana.

Kurt put his hand on his heart and gazed longingly toward the “bedroom” corner of the loft—“Ooh, this is getting wanky,” said Santana—then turned around and patted his bottom with both hands before making mounding motions over it with his palms.

“Blaine’s voluptuous bubble butt!” Brittany and Artie hollered out in tandem.

Kurt tapped his nose. “You two win!”

“Goddammit,” Santana muttered. “Why the hell didn’t I film that?”

\---

Everyone applauded when Quinn and Tina finished their rendition of a [Beyoncé hit](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QrOe2h9RtWI).

“That was great,” Mike declared as they rejoined the group.

Tina started to reach toward him, but then remembered where she was and who was watching. She wobbled for a moment and nearly fell into Quinn. Quinn glanced back and forth between the two of them, squeezed Tina’s elbow supportively, and then said loudly “Hey Cooper, do you have any more of those lollipops?”

“Right here, gorgeous,” Cooper said, sidling up and handing one to her.

“They’re delicious,” Blaine said with a phallic lollipop planted firmly in his mouth. “Better than Jolly Ranchers.”

“No kidding,” agreed Sam. “I know you love Kurt, but there’s no way he tastes this good.”

Blaine pulled the pop out of his mouth. “Well, actually—”

“Right. He probably tastes like episoth seeds.”

“Like _what_?”

Sam gave Blaine a pitying look. “Episoth seeds. The most delicious food on Pandora. Didn’t you read _James Cameron’s Avatar: An Activist’s Survival Guide_?”

“I did, but only once. I forgot that part.”

Sam shook his head. “I don’t know what I’m gonna do with you.”

“You could take me to Kurt’s bachelor party. All this talk is making me miss him.”

Cooper butted in. “Miss him, or feel horny for him?”

Blaine blushed. “Maybe a little of both.”

“I feel a little weird not having Kurt here, too,” Sam admitted. He turned to include Cooper in the conversation. “I mean, Blaine and I are like bros and stuff, but I lived with Kurt’s family for almost a year in high school, and then we were all roommates here in New York for a while…”

“Yeah, but would Kurt have gone for the penis pops?” Cooper said.

“That depends on how much alcohol you get into him first,” Blaine said coyly. “And maybe if I asked him nicely. I sure wouldn’t mind seeing him suck on one.”

Cooper laughed and rubbed Blaine’s shoulder. “It’s so sweet seeing you be all heartsick for your boy.”

“It’s nice hanging out with you guys,” Blaine said. “But it’s a little weird, too. Everybody here is also _his_ friend. It feels like he should be here.”

“Would it make you happier if everyone was all together?” Cooper said. “Because this is your night. And while I personally think a bachelor party should involve debauchery and strippers and sleeping around, this is _your_ bachelor party, squirt. Not mine.”

Just then, Sam’s phone buzzed. He looked at it and laughed. “Speak of the devil,” he said.

“What?” Blaine and Cooper said simultaneously.

“Mercedes says Kurt won’t stop talking about Blaine’s butt. Apparently he misses you, too.”

–––––––––––––––––

around 10:00 pm

–––––––––––––––––

Brittany held a single finger out from her forehead and pranced around the room.

“Unicorn!” everyone yelled at once.

“I’m very good at this game,” Brittany said proudly. “That was the fastest one guessed all night.”

“You’re amazing,” Santana told her, pulling her back down onto the chair beside her.

“Does anybody want another margarita?” Kurt offered.

“Kurt, it’s your party, you shouldn’t be mixing drinks!” Rachel chided.

“I wasn’t offering to mix them, Rachel. It was a hint that _you_ should.” He gave her a friendly wink. She took that as a sign that the alcohol hadn’t cleared from his system yet.

“I’d be happy to,” she said. “After all, I do owe you for all the times you’ve made tea for me, don’t I?” She reached out and squeezed his hand before heading for the kitchen.

“It’s not a real margarita unless you put tequila in it,” Santana called after her.

“There _is_ tequila in it,” Elliott pointed out. “I watched her put it in.”

“Ok,” Santana corrected. “It’s not a real margarita unless you put _more_ tequila in it.”

Elliott laughed. “I know, right?” They spontaneously high-fived.

“Tartlet?” Mercedes prompted, holding the tray in front of them with a glare. Elliott took one. Santana took three.

Rachel was just putting the lid on the blender when they all heard something [coming from the hallway outside the door](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2x8W-yl_ssg). Several people exchanged confused looks, and Elliott was on his way to open the door when suddenly it was pushed open from the other side. There stood Blaine, flanked by several former Warblers, several former New Directions, and Cooper. They were all singing.

_If you want my body and you think I'm sexy, come on sugar let me know._

Elliott’s eyes blew wide and his jaw dropped. He had known Kurt for nearly two years—Blaine for a little less—and he had heard about Blaine and his penchant for massive serenades, but he hadn’t seen one before. Not like this.

_If you really need me just reach out and touch me come on honey tell me so_

The singers poured into the room and spread into a standard Warbler V formation, the Dalton alumni falling into a step-touch sequence without much thought. Mike, of course, caught on to the Warbler choreography instantly, and looked like he belonged with the group. Cooper was slightly less elegant, but holding his own. Sam kept throwing in body rolls which made him lose his step and bump into people.

Blaine’s grin went from ear to ear, and if his step-touching had a little more pelvic thrusting than it used to in high school, well, nobody said anything about it.

_He's acting shy looking for an answer  
Come on honey let's spend the night together_

“Ow! ow!” Rachel hollered as she abandoned the would-be margaritas and threw her hands in the air to join the gyrating group in the middle of the room. Dani slid up beside her on one side and Santana and Brittany on the other and they all joined the singing.

Kurt was still on the couch, but his head was thrown back and he was shaking with laughter. Mercedes was beside him, her hand over her smile as she watched Sam trying to blend in with the group.

“C’mon, Kurt, join us!” Tina grabbed his hand and pulled him off the couch.

_If you want my body and you think I'm sexy, come on honey tell me so_

Without missing a step, Blaine reached out a hand to Kurt and beckoned him closer. Kurt rolled his eyes but stepped in. Blaine wrapped an arm around him, pulling him close and grinding into him a little bit.

“Blaine, we have company!” Kurt hissed.

“They don’t mind,” Blaine whispered back, his breath tickling Kurt’s ear. But he loosened his grip all the same, twirling Kurt out with a wink and moving on to the end of the song.

_If you, if you, if you really need me just come on and tell me so_

As everyone disbursed to find places to sit, Rachel went back to finish making the margaritas. Kurt and Blaine stood in the middle, surveying the crowd, their arms naturally settling around each other’s waists.

“I thought you were all going to be out a lot longer,” Kurt said as Blaine nuzzled his neck.

“I know Cooper meant well,” Blaine responded with a quick peck to Kurt’s cheek. “But I really just wanted to be here with you.”

“Well I suppose that’s a good thing,” Kurt teased. “After this weekend you’re going to be stuck with me forever.”

“Best, thing, ever!” Blaine assured him, dropping their arms and lacing his fingers through Kurt’s instead. “So what have you guys been doing here?”

“Oh, we played charades and had some food...” Kurt grinned. “I’m glad you’re back though.”

“Me too.”

\---

Puck sniffed at the open blender. “Are these margaritas?”

“Only sort of,” Elliott muttered. “They’re practically virgins…”

Puck shuddered. “Eww, virgins…”

Elliott clapped him across the back. “I know, right?!”

“YES!” Santana yelled from across the room. “You, Warbler guy, whoever you are,” she pointed at Nick, who was setting a case of beer on the table. “You are awesome! You brought drinks!”

Nick nodded and got a little flustered as Puck came over and embraced him and kissed him on both cheeks. “I love you man!”

Cooper held up the case he had in his hand as well. “I figured Kurt and Blaine probably didn’t have much in stock, so I brought reinforcements.”

“You, sir, are brilliant!”

“Before you get too smashed, Puckerman, I feel obliged to tell you—” Quinn held up her phone to show him a text she’d just received. “Shelby has officially invited you to join us for lunch tomorrow. So we can only drink as much as we can metabolize by the morning.”

Puck picked up Quinn and spun her in a circle. “Thank you. You’re such a good friend.”

Brittany tapped Puck on the shoulder. “Hey, that looks fun. Can I be next?”

“Of course!’ Puck laughed and spun Brittany around, too.

–––––––––––––––––

around 10:30 pm

–––––––––––––––––

“I want to sing back to him,” Kurt whispered loudly to Rachel. He wasn’t really drunk anymore—it had been a few hours—but he was high on the atmosphere of the night and felt tipsy anyway.

“You totally should,” Rachel agreed, draping an arm over his shoulder and belching loudly into his chest. She was legitimately tipsy. “Something sexy, you know, like he did.”

“Yeah,” Kurt nodded, untangling himself from her. “Something sexy.” He crinkled his face in thought. “Why is everyone being so loud? It makes it hard to think.”

“You can’t help being sexy, Kurt,” Mercedes’ voice came from near his elbow. “Like everything you do is the sexiest thing ever.” She giggled.

“Careful babe,” Sam muttered from behind her, slipping his hands around her waist and hooking his thumbs into her belt loops. “I might get jealous or something…”

She turned around in his embrace. “Nuh-uh.” Her fingers wrapped around the back of his neck and she pulled him down for a sloppy kiss. “You don’t need to be jealous of anything. Now that I’ve got you back you are all the sexy I need.”

“That’s it!” Kurt appeared to be lost in his own little world, but his eyes were darting back and forth rapidly. “Sam, I’m gonna need backup for this one. Grab Elliott and bring him over here.”

Sam squinted at him for a moment before disentangling himself from Mercedes’ arms. “It’s a bro emergency, I’ll be back soon love.” He pressed a quick peck to her lips before darting across the room to pull Elliott away from Puck.

Mercedes watched him go.

“He’s completely smitten with you, you know,” Kurt said softly to her.

“I know.”

“You’re completely smitten with him too.”

She grinned. “I know.”

He wrapped an arm around her shoulder and hugged her close. “I’m happy for you ‘Cedes.”

She squeezed him back. “I’m happy for you too, Kurt.”

“I’m getting married in a day and a half.”

“Yes you are. Did you forget?”

“No, it’s just…” he struggled for the words for a moment. “It’s just very surreal.” Kurt stared at Blaine carefully. He was sitting in a corner of the couch, with David on one side and Tina on the other, animatedly talking about something. He glanced up and caught Kurt watching him, so he grinned and winked before returning to the conversation.

“Well, you two were pretty much meant to be from the day you met,” Mercedes noted. “If it still feels surreal after five years, I don’t know what to tell ya. Maybe your life is a fairly tale.”

He laughed. “Maybe it is.”

“Here come your boys though,” Mercedes gestured to Sam and Elliott coming their way. “Imma just get out of your way and let you do your thang.”

It only took a few moments of whispered conversation before Sam crossed the room to whisper to something to Puck, and only a few moments more before Puck shot a wink their direction as he pressed play and [a dirty beat started from the speakers](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gOHvDP_vCs&feature=youtu.be&t=17s). Kurt stepped out from behind the curtain, a smirk on his face and a smolder in his eyes.

_I’m bringing sexy back (yeah)  
Them other boys don’t know how to act (yeah)_

Initially it was only Sam and Elliott rolling and grinding behind him and singing the _yeah_ echos, but before Kurt even reached the end of the first verse others were starting to join in. Rachel and Mike started dancing without hesitation. Tina and Mercedes looked slightly surprised, but shrugged and joined in as well. Cooper was obviously both shocked and impressed, and Puck just looked proud. And Blaine, well, he may have started the sexy sing-off but he was well aware that he was being bested now.

_I think you're special, what's behind your back? (yeah)  
So turn around and I'll pick up the slack (yeah)_

The former Warblers may not have been as fast as the former New Directions to get to their feet, but once they did join they were all in. Thad’s deep _yeah_ soon joined the others, and lanky Jeff strutted around the room like he owned it.

Brittany had her hands crossed at the wrist and high above her head as she writhed to the music. Kurt caught her eye, saw her nod slightly, and then stepped beside her with a grin. He slid his hands around her waist and they moved together as he continued into the bridge of the song.

 _Dirty babe, you see these shackles_  
_Baby I’m your slave, I’ll let you whip me if I misbehave_  
 _It’s just that no one makes me feel this way_

Santana and Blaine exchanged a look, and both had fire in their eyes a moment later as they pulled their lovers apart from each other and toward themselves instead.

Cooper grabbed the girl nearest to him (who happened to be Tina) and started trying to get his _Dirty Dancing_ on with her. She blushed furiously and pushed him away until Mike murmured something to him about “let me show you how it’s done,” and started doing exactly the same thing with her. She didn’t blush this time, but for some reason no one noticed.

_Let me see what you’re twerking with (Go ahead, be gone with it)  
Look at those hips (Go ahead, be gone with it)_

Sam’s shirt was mostly unbuttoned as he shimmied by his girlfriend with a dorky grin on his face. Warbler David had lost his shirt entirely and appeared to be engaged in a twerk-off with Elliott. (So much for all Dalton boys being Dapper!) Rachel, Dani, and Quinn were all bumping hips and grooving together as they laughed too hard to sing along.

_And get your sexy on (Go ahead, be gone with it)_

–––––––––––––––––

around 11:00 pm

–––––––––––––––––

Kurt’s song had started something, apparently. Now everyone was taking turns picking songs and busting a move. With the curtains gone, and most things being packed up and stacked against the walls, the loft now afforded them a pretty good dance floor.

Kurt was taking a break on the couch when Rachel settled in next to him. They sat in companionable silence, just watching their friends for a while before she spoke.

“Almost three years…”

“Yeah.”

“This loft is such a big part of what New York has been to me. It’s hard to say goodbye.”

“You’re telling me,” Kurt replied emphatically. “I literally have not lived anywhere else since I’ve been here. I flew in, met up with you, and a few days later we were renting this place. You at least spent six months in LA.”

“And now I’m living with Shelby, I know.”

“Well, the location’s better.”

Rachel nodded. “It is.”

“That’s why _we’re_ moving!” he smirked. “Location, location, location…” He sighed.

She snuggled up to him. “We had some good times here though, didn’t we?”

“The best.”

…

Their focus was redirected when former Warbler David stood on a chair and cleared his throat several times. He didn’t have a shirt on, and appeared to be more than a little tipsy, but he waved his arms and hollered a few times until everyone quieted down and gave their attention.

“This weekend, two of our own Warbler brothers are getting married,” he said proudly. “The Warblers have a tradition of singing to our alumni when they get married, but since both members of the couple are former Warblers this time, well, we thought it called for something a little...special.” He winked and waited for Thad, Wes, Trent, Nick, and Jeff to finish gathering around the chair.

“Oh my god, Blaine, do you know what they’re doing?” Kurt’s eyes were wide and he looked mildly concerned.

Blaine was grinning. “I have no idea, but this is awesome!”

At a nod from Wes, the Warbler guys began the “ _ba, ba, ba, ba”_ needed to establish the beat for [their song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bRWVMPnByzo), and Thad started up his beatboxing.

David threw his hip out at a jaunty angle, and started in on Shakira’s lyrics as though it were the most normal thing in the world.

_I never really knew that she could dance like this_   
_She makes a man wants to speak Spanish_   
_Como se llama (si), bonita (si), mi casa (si, Shakira Shakira), su casa_

“What is it with Warblers and singing girl songs?” Artie whispered to Santana.

“No idea, but at least this time they picked a good one!” she whispered back.

All their hips were popping back and forth in sync now as they came onto the chorus.

_And I'm on tonight, you know my hips don't lie  
And I'm starting to feel it's right_

Most of the singers had their hands in the air now, hips shaking in a most un-Dalton-ish fashion. David had turned his back to the crowd (still shirtless), and was full-on writhing to the music. Droplets of sweat on his back glinted in the light and shone like jewels.

“Damn, that’s sexy,” Quinn murmured to Tina.

“I know, right?”

Mike cleared his throat loudly.

_I can see your body moving and it's driving me crazy  
And I didn't have the slightest idea until I saw you dancing_

“I knew long before I saw you dance,” Santana whispered in Brittany’s ear.

Tina carefully glanced around the room to check that no one was looking, but all their eyes were toward the performers. Slowly she dragged her hand down Mike’s back and grabbed a handful of his ass. Startled, he glanced down at her, and she winked at him. He smiled back before forcing himself to look away again. Not much longer to keep their secret now...

In light of how much he was moving, Elliott might as well have been up there with the Warblers. He’d never been one who could hold still when there was a good beat in the house, and he was definitely a fan of this whole male choir thing. He held out one hand to Dani and the other to Cooper, each of whom blithely took them and twirled under his arms with grins on their faces.

_So be wise and keep on  
Reading the signs of my body_

Somehow the fact that they started throwing in bits of other Shakira songs didn’t surprise anyone, but when they got to _Whenever, Wherever_ Mercedes felt a shiver run up her spine. She squeezed Sam’s hand and he pulled her in a little closer, knowing they were both remembering a day at the park not so long ago.

When they started layering lyrics from _Waka Waka_ right on top of _Hips Don’t Lie_ , Blaine looked impressed. “We never did medleys when I was there. I feel like I missed out.”

“You got to do plenty of mash-ups at McKinley,” Kurt reminded him.

“Mash-ups and medleys aren’t technically the same thing,” Rachel pointed out from beside them. “We almost never did medleys in New Directions, which is too bad because I can think of some great things that we could have…” she trailed off under Kurt’s stern look.

As the Warblers went into the final repetition of the chorus, several Warblers motioned for the audience to get up and join them. They readily did so, filling the space with laughter and affection.

_The attraction, the tension  
Don’t you see Baby, this is perfection_

Kurt had his head thrown back, his eyes closed in a state of blissed-out serenity. His arms were around Blaine’s neck and Blaine’s hands were on his hips as they rocked together.

_Baby, like this is perfection_

–––––––––––––––––

around 12:30 am

–––––––––––––––––

Everyone was sitting around the room, squished on furniture and cushions on the floor or sprawled across each other’s laps. A mellower mood reigned now that they were all tired from dancing.

“Naw, naw, naw, I’m telling you,” Puck insisted, taking another gulp from his cup. “Kurt and Blaine never would have met if I hadn’t said for Kurt to go visit Dalton that day.” He pointed back and forth between the two of them where they were smooshed together in a single armchair. “You two owe me big, I’m just sayin.”

Cooper leaned over and whispered to Blaine with great sincerity. “I like how he points a lot, it really helps me feel how much he means what he’s saying.”

Kurt snorted, and Blaine had to work very hard to keep a straight face.

“So,” Puck went on. “They were, like, buddies for a while. But Kurt was totally into Blaine. But he didn’t tell him, cuz he’s all, like, old fashioned or whatever. And Blaine was totally clueless.”

“I was not!” Blaine pouted.

“You kinda were, honey,” Kurt said soothingly.

Blaine stuck out his lip in an exaggerated pout, and Kurt kissed it better as Puck continued his story.

“But after Kurt transferred to Dalton then stuff went down. And Kurt swore it wasn’t until springtime, but, like, they were best friends. So I’m sure they were totally fooling around way before that.”

Kurt looked scandalized. “Were not!”

“Sure, you just keep on saying that,” Puck nodded, drinking again. “I still don’t believe you though, cuz when they sang that candle song at regionals there was _waaaaaayyy_ too much sexual tension there for somebody who had just gotten together that week. Like it was unreal.”

“It was,” Rachel murmured softly.

“Plus, you know, boys school. I’m sure everybody was trying stuff there, even the straight guys.”

David cleared his throat and Thad looked at his feet. Nick and Jeff high-fived each other over Dani’s head. Puck watched them all and grinned.

“See, toldja.” He was pointing again, and Cooper nodded approvingly. (Nobody dared raise the question of exactly what he was approving of.)

“It wasn’t like that,” Kurt insisted.

“For some people it was,” Blaine shrugged.

Kurt shifted to look him in the face. “Seriously?”

“Seriously.”

“I totally cried when they sang together,” Puck admitted. “It was beautiful.”

Tina tilted her head and gave him a judgmental look.

“What? It was!” Puck shrugged.

“I knew it was coming pretty much as soon as they met, even before Kurt went to Dalton,” Mercedes supplied. “I could just see the chemistry between them.”

“We all assumed they were together ages before they actually were,” Wes confirmed.

Puck nodded in Wes’ direction. “Exactly.”

“Have they ever been straight up about when exactly they made it official?” Quinn asked casually.

Sam choked and started laughing. Several people gave him odd looks and he valiantly tried to get himself under control, but ultimately he just laughed harder. After a few moments Tina caught on. “Straight?” she said with a pointed look. “You couldn’t have thought of a better phrase than that?”

Kurt snorted. Blaine snickered.

“Yes,” Mercedes said simply. “Kurt called me the same day they got together. It was just a few days before the regionals competition.”

The room grew quiet as everyone turned her direction.

“Wait, he called _you_ first?!” Rachel whined. “Kurt, how could you do that to me? I thought we were friends…” She turned to Wes (who was sitting nearest to her) and buried her face in his shoulder.

He awkwardly stroked her back.”Uhhhhh.”

“I think it’s time for a song!” Blaine blurted loudly.

“You know,” Kurt noted. “It’s past midnight. That means that it’s Saturday now, so we’re getting married tomorrow…” He looked Blaine in the eye meaningfully. “You know what that means?”

“Oooooh!” Blaine exclaimed. “We have to sing it! This is the only time in our lives we can sing it!”

“I know,” Kurt said smugly. “So singing it is, like, obligatory.”

“Definitely.”

“Uh, what are you two talking about?” Cooper asked.

“As performers, we are partial to Broadway songs,” Blaine explained. “And there’s a particular song which is really only appropriate on the day before one’s wedding.”

Rachel had caught on now. “Oh my god, yes, we have to sing that!”

“That’s why I suggested it!” Kurt beamed, [breaking into song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pznnNzjcN7I).

_I'm gettin' married in the morning, ding, dong, the bells are gonna chime  
Pull out the stopper, we'll have a whopper, but get me to the church on time_

“You’re not getting married in a church,” Brittany pointed out.

Santana shushed her gently.

Blaine hopped up, taking over on the next verse. He straightened his polo shirt as though it were a suit, and checked his reflection in the window before parading across the room.

_I got to get there in the morning, spruced up and lookin' in my prime_

Unable to handle all the solos that were being sung tonight by people who were not her, Rachel burst in.

_Boys come and kiss me, say that you'll miss me_

“It’s a good thing you didn’t sing that part,” Kurt murmured to Blaine, slipping up behind him and squeezing his hip. “You are definitely off the market for kissing.”

“I would have kissed him,” Elliott said as he strode past without breaking his stride or even looking at them.

Kurt looked appropriately offended (or perhaps just surprised), but Blaine doubled over laughing. Luckily it didn’t matter because at least half of the guests were singing along now.

 _Kick up a rumpus, don't lose your compass_  
_Get me to the church, get me to the church_  
 _For Pete's sake, get me to the church on time_

–––––––––––––––––

Saturday, May 30, around 8:00 am

–––––––––––––––––

Kurt stepped gingerly between the bodies sprawled every which way on the floor in the loft. A few of those who lived locally had gone home, of course, and others had gone to their hotels. But since most of them were coming back today to help with the moving, several people had opted to just sleep over.

Puck was sprawled across the couch, snoring loudly (and probably drooling on the vintage cushions, though Kurt carefully avoided thinking about that). Brittany was curled up in the fetal position halfway under the coffee table, and Santana was stretched out next to her. Brittany had somehow rolled all of their blankets around herself in a sort of nest, leaving Santana with none. Mercedes and Sam were on an air mattress, and, as often happens with air mattresses, it had turned into a taco bed and they had both ended up squashed in the middle. Sam's legs were mostly on top of Mercedes's, and her arm lay across his face, but neither of them seemed to mind.

Kurt had gotten up early to go to the bathroom, and as he carefully made his way back to Blaine he noticed the beautiful morning sunshine streaming in through the window. It was irresistible. So, instead of slipping back into the bed beside Blaine for a little more sleep, he crawled up on top of the covers and gently shook him.

“Blaine, wake up.”

“Uhhh?” Blaine rolled over, rubbing his eyes.

“Come with me!”

Blaine was not feeling awake, nor did he feel any desire to be awake.

“Naaawww, come cuddle me,” he patted the bed next to himself and tried to lift the sheet invitingly.

“Really, Blaine, please?”

Blaine had a hard time saying no to Kurt at the best of times, and with sleep still clouding his brain he didn’t really have the energy to argue. Plus Kurt’s hair was sticking up at several odd angles and it was extra adorable. Blaine sat up and ran his fingers through his hair, yawning twice and stretching. “Where’re we going?”

“Just come!” Kurt whispered happily, taking Blaine’s hand and leading him back through the maze of bodies, and through the window out onto the fire escape. “Isn’t it a beautiful morning?” The sun had just gotten above the buildings, and the city somehow looked cleaner from up here. There were a pair of pigeons perched on the railing, and they were bobbing their heads in what could easily be interpreted as a dance of happiness.

Blaine backed up close to Kurt’s chest, pulling the taller man’s hands closely around his own waist and clasping them tightly. He breathed deeply, and relaxed into Kurt’s embrace and just appreciated the moment for what it was.

“It’s been fun to hang out with everyone,” Kurt mused, “but I wanted to have a little time for ourselves too. A lot of things are changing this weekend.” He placed a soft kiss on Blaine’s neck before resting his chin on his shoulder. “We’re getting married, we’re moving into a new apartment…”

“We leave for Paris soon, and then running the Crystal…” Blaine added.

“I’ll be graduated from NYADA a year from now,” Kurt noted. “Sometimes stages of life feel like they last forever, but sometimes they seem to fly by so fast.”

“I’m glad we’re doing all this together,” Blaine said, nuzzling his head back against Kurt’s. “The big wide world feels easier to conquer when I have you beside me.”

Blaine felt Kurt’s face shift and knew he was smiling. Then he heard his voice, soft and low, [starting to sing](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBlKaQrIqsg).

_Marry me a little, love me just enough._

Blaine’s smile spread across his face like morning sunshine as he sang back to the love of his life.

_You can be my best friend, I can be your right arm. We'll go through a fight or two—no harm, no harm._

They had certainly had their ups and downs, and they would undoubtedly have more in the future, but in this moment they both knew that it didn’t matter. They let the words of the song be a promise that they would always be there for each other, defending each other (even if they knew they were wrong), and always remembering how perfectly imperfect they were.

_I'm ready, I'm ready now._

Kurt pulled on one of Blaine’s hands, spinning him in his arms so that they were facing each other, arms still locked in an embrace as they stood there on the fire escape. Boldly they sang together, not needing the crescendo of an accompaniment to heighten the moment.

_Marry me a little, body, heart, and soul. Passionate as hell but always in control._

As the duet came to a close they pulled together, closing the tiny gap between them and whispering _I love you_ and _I love you too._

_I’m ready, I’m ready, I’m ready_

_–––––––––––––––––-–––––––––––––––––-–––––––––––––––––-–––––––––––––––––-_

21 episodes and 1 more to go. Thank you for reading Glee Season Fix and to everyone who sends us comments, reviews and messages <3  
  
Tune in next week for the big wedding finale! And to clear things up: Yes, at some point there will be a glimpse-into-the-future epilogue outside of our regular posting pattern. We'll let you know when exactly that will be :) 

[Here you can find the stills on our tumblr](http://gleeseasonfix.tumblr.com/post/119697449491/stills-episode-21-im-getting-married-in-the)

  
  


Songs:  
  
Blaine and the Warblers: [Do Ya Think I’m Sexy](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2x8W-yl_ssg) by Rod Stewart, cover by The Warblers

 

Kurt: [SexyBack](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gOHvDP_vCs&feature=youtu.be&t=17s) by Justin Timberlake

 

Warblers and Ensemble: [Hips Don’t Lie Medley](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bRWVMPnByzo) by Out of the Box

 

Ensemble: [Get Me To The Church On Time](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pznnNzjcN7I) (from My Fair Lady) cover by Rosemary Clooney

 

Ensemble: [Move on Up](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGR9bQh-kpk) by Curtis Mayfield

[Kurt and Blaine: ](http://de.tinypic.com?ref=jkesm9)[Marry Me a Little](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBlKaQrIqsg) (from Company)

 


	22. Fearlessly and Forever

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kurt and Blaine are finally tying the knot!  
> Family and friends have come from all over the country to be with them on the big day, including one surprise guest who will be officiating the ceremony! Speeches, songs, and stressed-out groomzillas are intermixed with sweet romantic moments, humor, Burt's gift for saying the right thing at the right time, and Cooper's gift for saying the wrong thing at the wrong time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The finale of Glee Season Fix was written by [ Chazzam ](http://chazzam.tumblr.com/), [ Soofreakincharmy ](http://soofreakincharmy.tumblr.com), [ thedementress](http://thedementress.tumblr.com/), [ gingerfic ](http://archiveofourown.org/users/gingerfic/pseuds/gingerfic) and [ Wowbright ](http://archiveofourown.org/users/wowbright/pseuds/wowbright).  
> Beta by [ HKvoyage ](http://hkvoyage.tumblr.com) and [ alwaysfallingforanidea ](http://alwaysfallingforanidea.tumblr.com/)
> 
> Huge special thank you to [ connectedandsafeandloved](http://connectedandsafeandloved.tumblr.com/), formerly known as awkwardanne4 who had the perfect idea for the location of the wedding. As A
> 
> Glee Season Fix (“GSF”) was written independently of spoilers about Glee Season 6. If songs or plots overlap, it’s due to coincidence or nature of the storylines that need resolution. If references pop up, we excuse ourselves for not being able to hold back.
> 
> Like on the show, GSF also includes songs and performances. There are links to full versions of each song, as well as a few pieces of lyrics quoted in the scene. We hope you will enjoy listening as well as reading, but be aware that the written version is shortened, whereas the audio versions are the full songs.

**_And here’s what you missed on Glee Season Fix:_ **

_So back in the day in season 5, which doesn't seem that far away but really was because someone decided to mess up the timelines for reasons the world may never understand, Blaine proposed to Kurt in a yellow suit because he was almost bursting with the amount of love he had for the man. What is the relation between the yellow suit and the overflowing love those two had for each other? No clue._

_Continuing the trip down memory lane? Remember the early days when they were just about as in love as they are right now, only they lived in an unaccepting town but they were just as cute as they are now? And remember when Kurt offered Blaine a bouquet of red and yellow roses? Well, now you do._

_Inspired by the world's favorite gay couple, their best friends Sam and Mercedes decided to get together for the umpteenth time a few months ago, but their history is enough to make them want to move on to the next chapter. The main question is when._

_Also together are Tina and Mike but they're keeping their relationship a secret so that they don't upstage they friends’ wedding, like Cooper (Blaine's brother, remember him?) will probably try to._

 

_**April 2015** _

_\-----------------------------------_

_Various locations, United States **  
**_

_\-----------------------------------_

[](http://de.tinypic.com?ref=wakbyd)

_Carole smiled at the thick card and read the text for the fifth time over. Baby Charlotte continued to fuss on her Mommy’s shoulder, completely unaware that her half-brother’s wedding was finally going to happen. Carole presented the invitation to Charlotte._

_“Look, honey,” she cooed. “Your brother Kurt is getting his happy ending.”_

\---

 _Quinn immediately grinned when she opened her Facebook page. Kurt and Blaine’s cream colored wedding invitation was flooding her newsfeed, captioned by excited friends from her high school, both from Glee club and otherwise. It was being held at the Skylight Ballroom, a clear nod to the scene when Billy Crystal confessed his love to Meg Ryan in_ When Harry Met Sally.

_Her own invitation sat next to her laptop. Vividly, she could remember being introduced to Blaine and how, back then, she wished she could mirror Kurt and Blaine’s chemistry with herself and Finn._

_But today? Quinn smirked. “Come what may,” she said to herself, before typing out her RSVP._

\---

 **eastwes** Just got my invite to what I expect is the wedding of the century. See you lovebirds in May! #nojeff #thegavelisnotmyplusone #klainewedding2015

 **jeffej** but Blaine will be very disappointed if the Warbler’s gavel won’t make it to his wedding

 **nickingaround** got my invitation too! What’s a good wedding gift? @warblerdavid @trentwars

 **sebastiansmythe** @nickingaround A new mattress for when the first one breaks.

\---

_Becky held up her invitation to the sunlight and squinted. Yep, it sparkled alright._

\---

_Sweaty and jacked up on testosterone, Puck entered the barracks with the rest of his squad, hollering from the rigorous training they had just survived. While the barracks descended into a smelly, locker room-type of chaos, Puck noticed and picked up the fancy envelope lying at the foot of his bed. He carefully tore it open and pulled out the invitation. He froze._

_“Noah?” Nielsen asked, eyeing his best bud with deep concern. “Everything alright there?”_

_Puck didn’t answer and fell forward on his bed, clutching the thick card to his chest. His army buddies were startled by the muffled sobbing (or was it singing?) Puck was beginning to emit through his pillow._

“ _Aaaaaaaaatt laaaaaaaaast, my loooooove haaaas come aloooooooong…_ ”

 

 

Present time

\-----------------------------------

Ristretto Coffee shop, New York City, Sunday May 31, 6:00 a.m.

\-----------------------------------

Blaine closed his eyes and breathed in the smell of coffee and pastries, the familiar scent somehow both calming his nerves and fueling his excitement for the day ahead. It was insanely early and still dark outside, but he had come close to jumping out of his skin trying to sleep in the hotel room adjacent to his parents the night before. He had finally given up around 4 a.m. and texted Kurt.

**Blaine to Kurt: This bed doesn’t smell like you. Would it really be so terrible if I snuck into bed with you for a couple of hours?**

**Kurt to Blaine: Go back to sleep, Blaine. Don’t make me resort to changing the locks at this hour.**

**Kurt: I love you. It’s just a few hours, honey. We can do this.**

**Blaine: I love you too. I can’t wait to be your husband.**

**Kurt: Yes you can. Now get some sleep. You know how puffy your undereyes get when you’re sleep-deprived.**

**Blaine: You’re awake too, you know. What is it they say about people in glass houses? That they shouldn’t throw eye cream?**

**Kurt: Go to sleep, Blaine.**

Blaine opened his eyes and looked around the coffee shop. Kurt was right about the puffiness--he’d have to ask Tina to pick up some cucumber slices on her way to the ballroom--but there was no way he could get back to sleep. Not wanting to bother Kurt again, he had finally gotten dressed and headed out to Ristretto, the coffee shop he and Kurt visited at least once a week. It had always reminded them both a bit of the Lima Bean, with just enough New York flavor--much tighter quarters with regard to seating, iced beverages served in mason jars, and rather than iced sugar cookies and biscotti from a box, the shop offered gluten-free this and locally sourced that, and somehow even managed to have something made with quinoa on the menu. The baristas were all impossibly thin, the women wearing dresses so short, Blaine didn’t know how they managed not to flash everyone whenever they bent over to fetch more hemp milk from the bar fridge.

Blaine stood in line--living in New York meant standing in a lot of lines--and let his eyes wander around the coffee shop. He almost gasped aloud when he saw them.

At a cramped corner table sat two sleepy boys in matching school uniforms, each of them holding an enormous cup of coffee as they leaned in close to whisper to one another. There was no one close enough to them to hear anything even if they’d been using their normal speaking voices, but that didn’t appear to matter. Every now and then one or the other of them would blush and laugh, their legs pressed together beneath the table and their interaction peppered with small, hesitant touches and sweet smiles. Everything about them screamed new love. The kind of new, young love that made you squeal into your pillow and fall into daydreams while you tried to pay attention in class. Blaine knew about that kind of love. He remembered it well.

He tried not to stare; the boys in question didn’t look older than fifteen or sixteen and he certainly didn’t want to make them uncomfortable, but it was difficult to reign himself in. It was like looking into a vision of his own past. He couldn’t help but remember the way he agonized over looking good enough in the morning, even though he was wearing his Dalton uniform five days out of seven. The way Kurt smiled at him when he picked him up in the morning, the way the rest of the world melted away when they sat in the Lima Bean together before school, smiling and blushing until someone from the Warblers or New Directions plopped themselves down at their table and began talking loudly, seemingly oblivious to the intimate bubble they’d just shattered.

All those annoying, infuriating, strange and wonderful people would be there today, watching Kurt and Blaine become husbands. Blaine’s smile broadened at the thought. There were times he missed those early days of his relationship with Kurt; things were so much simpler then, everything exciting and overwhelming in its newness. But the truth was, Blaine wouldn’t go back for the world. Because he and Kurt--they had come so far. They knew themselves and one another in ways they couldn’t have imagined as blushing, clumsily-in-love new boyfriends. Blaine had fallen in love with the boy that Kurt was, and now he was falling in love with the man that Kurt had become, more and more each day. He was going to be Kurt’s husband. He and Kurt were going to be _fathers_ together. Blaine was going to spend the rest of his life singing and laughing and fighting and making love with his gorgeous, never-boring best friend.

By the time he got to the counter to place his order, there were tears in his eyes.

“Hi, Blaine,” said Rashida, the one barista that always greeted him with a bright smile rather than a blank and apathetic expression. Even at this hour, her makeup was perfect, her cornrows were sleek and her eyes were bright. “You’re here early.”

Blaine grinned. “Couldn’t sleep,” he explained with a shrug.

Rashida gasped. “That’s _right._ Today is the big day, isn’t it? That must be why you’re here without your other half.”

Blaine sighed. “Yeah. I slept in a hotel last night. It was weird.”

Rashida laughed. “Well, congratulations. I don’t usually bet on young love, but I’d bet on you two.”

“Thanks,” Blaine replied, feeling a smile creeping across his lips and into his tired eyes. “I’d bet on us too.”

“So, you want your usual?” Rashida asked, as the man in line behind Blaine sighed impatiently.

Blaine paused. “Actually, no. I’d like a nonfat mocha, please. Grande.”

“You bringing it to Kurt?” She asked, writing the order on the side of a cup to hand to the bored-looking blonde girl who was working the espresso machine.

“No,” Blaine answered with a blush, handing her a twenty. “I just...the taste reminds me of him.”

Rashida cooed, making Blaine blush harder. Blaine glanced away, the boys at the corner table catching his attention.

“Rashida, do those two come in here often?” Blaine asked, motioning to them.

Rashida craned her neck to look. “Oh, those two? Almost every day. They were doing the awkward “just friends” thing for awhile, but it looks like that must have changed within the past week or two. Adorable, aren’t they?”

“They are. Next time they come in and you’re working, their drinks are on me, okay?” Blaine handed most of his change back to her.

Rashida smiled. “Of course.”

Blaine stepped out onto the sidewalk a few minutes later, his mocha warm in his hand and the taste of Kurt sweet on his lips. The world outside was bright and busy, and by the time the day was through, he would be married to Kurt. Blaine’s whole body buzzed with anticipation.

This was going to be the best day of his life. Blaine could feel it in his bones. Nothing could possibly go wrong.

 

\-----------------------------------

The Skylight Ballroom, New York City, around 10:00 a.m.

\-----------------------------------

“Tina! I told you that the ribbons around the napkins had to be tied with a bow, not double knots!”

“For god's sake Kurt, why are we even tying ribbons around the napkins?”

“Well, we’re not just gonna let them sit there and I’m not doing napkin origami like everyone does. Besides, double knots are hard to undo so don’t do them.”

“We have more work to do so that other people have to work less,” Tina muttered.

“Tina!”

“Okay, working on it!”

Kurt took a step back and admired the venue. Sure it looked gorgeous but with a tweak here and there it would be perfectly idyllic. Or so he thought until he saw…

“ _Brittany S. Pierce!_ Please tell me that isn’t glitter you are spreading on the chairs,” Kurt said with an exasperated sigh.

“Britney Spears is coming? How come you didn’t let me know, Kurt?!” She looked offended. “There can’t be two of us in the same space.” Brittany added matter-of-factly.

“No, she isn’t coming,” Kurt sounded tired. “And I’ll ask you again, is that glitter?”

"Of course it is! You're a unicorn and unicorns feed on glitter."

"Brittany, even if _I_ am a unicorn, which by itself is debatable, the guests aren't and I’m pretty sure they'd appreciate it if they didn't have to wash off glitter from their clothes for months."

"But glitter is shiny, why don't they like it?"

"I don't know Britt, but I'm sure they won't like it."

"Fine, but I'll let you know that Lady Tubbington was the one that suggested I spread unicorn magic and she has really good ideas."

"Well, we'll keep the glitter for her wedding."

"She's already married."

"Who's the lucky feline?"

"Lord Tubbington, obviously."

"Save the glitter for the day he quits smoking then."

"What?!! He told me he had quit already! And Kurt, I'm disappointed in you for not telling me sooner. I have to call him now, I'm sorry, I'll come to help in a second."

"Go, it's for your cat's lungs," Kurt deadpanned.

"Kurt, the flowers arrived!" Rachel called.

Kurt closed his eyes took a deep breath. He couldn’t wait to see the flowers and his nerves turned to giddiness for a second as he thought of the meaning those roses held in his and Blaine’s relationship. Seeing them would make the whole wedding feel ten times more real and he could not wait.

 ~~~~Of course, he could've waited in ignorant bliss. At least ten milliseconds ago he still had the illusion his wedding was going to be perfect.

" _Are you joking?!_ "

"Everyone, hide the cutlery to avoid your death," Santana stage-whispered.

“Kurt, honey, stay calm. Maybe there’s something we can do about this,” Mercedes said in an attempt to keep Kurt from lashing out. “Your only job is to not stress out about any more details.”

" _Details_?" Kurt snarled, still fuming.

"You think that if I get my guitar he'll eventually calm down?" Elliott asked Dani.

"I'm pretty sure that was a one time thing with Blaine," she replied.

"Guys, what's going on?" Brittany questioned as she walked back in the room. Kurt was so red he might have been confused with a roasted tomato, and everyone else wore a mildly terrified look. "Santana, did you make any retorts about Blaine's ass that made him uncomfortable? I don't want my dolphin to feel embarrassed."

"Umm Britt, that's not quite what happened..." Santana started.

" _Oh my god_ , those are so [pretty](http://i634.photobucket.com/albums/uu64/dezispreggerz/glitter%20graphics/roses_450x479.jpg)!” Brittany gasped when she saw the flowers.

" _Of course_ you'd think that, those hideosities are covered in glitter. And they’re dyed. And they’re _neon._ God, I refuse to even call them roses, they're _things_. I think I may throw up." Kurt sunk into a chair, overcome by the magnitude of the mistake. What on earth was he going to _do?_

"I still think they're pretty," Brittany insisted.

"They got the flowers wrong. They ruined the wedding.” Kurt’s eyes were hard with anger, fixed on the flowers as if he couldn’t see anyone or anything else in the room.

His old glee friends were stunned; this was the angriest they had ever seen him, especially Rachel, who had seen him snap her fair share of times. Maybe it was the pressure of organizing the wedding or maybe the flowers did mean a lot to Kurt, but that didn’t mean he didn’t have to calm down.

“Kurt, dear, you need to leave this room, it’s making you insane. You need stop thinking about how having the wrong flowers at your wedding is the worst disaster that ever happened in the history of the earth and then we can figure out a solution.”

“Don’t patronize me Rachel, I have every right to be mad.”

Quinn intervened. “She’s not patronizing you. Now you, sir, need to calm down.”

He took a deep, deep breath. “You’re right.” He inhaled again. “I just have to conveniently forget that they messed up my flowers.”

“That’s my Kurt. Now you either leave this room voluntarily or I’m dragging you out of it myself. If you force us to move every chair ⅛ of an inch closer to the stage again, I may retrieve the cutlery Santana made us hide and stop the wedding myself. We’ll work out the flower issue and you’ll enjoy what is supposed to be the best day of your life, without fussing over every single detail in this room. Go to your dressing room and think about how much you love Blaine.”

“Fine,” Kurt huffed.

Even though he felt calmer as he walked away from the source of his outburst, he couldn’t stop thinking about the glittery neon colored flowers. They were absolutely horrendous, but that wasn't why those monstrosities threw Kurt into a fit. The red and yellow roses they had ordered, complemented by tulips of the same colors, were a symbol of his relationship with Blaine. They symbolized how they had always supported each other through the rough patches, starting with that difficult moment when Kurt had decided to completely support Blaine in his role in _West Side Story_ despite his own bruised ego. What could it possibly mean that the florist got them wrong after he confirmed his order 538,365 times? That no matter how hard he had tried to make sure this detail was as perfect as he had envisioned, things didn't go as planned? Kurt felt his stomach sinking. Was this an omen? Did this mean their marriage was somehow cursed?

 ~~~~Kurt felt like slapping himself as soon as the doubts about his future with Blaine started to creep in. He loved him, he always had and they had overcome so much that it wasn’t going to be a bunch of flowers that cursed their relationship. Sure, he hated those tacky disco-inspired things and the fact that they were going to compromise his dream wedding (and honestly, did someone else order those on _purpose?_ ), but after leaving that damned room his outburst felt almost silly. Justified, but silly.

 _It’s funny how things played out_ , Kurt mused. From the first time Blaine had ever held his hand, impulsively and maybe unconsciously, to their wedding, somehow their love story felt unreal. No one expects to marry their high school sweetheart. They hope to, but they don't actually expect it to happen. When he felt the most insecure he tended to wonder if Blaine was only his teen romance, nothing more than immature love. But they were no longer teenagers, they were adults who had been dating for over four years. They were young and in love, but they were also wise enough to realize that being young doesn't necessarily mean being foolish. _And I'm so not foolish_ , Kurt added to his inner monologue, a fond smile on his face as he looked into a mirror and he thought of the past years. _So not foolish at all._

 

\-----------------------------------

Blaine’s dressing room/Skylight Ballroom, around 12:00 p.m.

\-----------------------------------

Blaine inspected his face in the shaving mirror propped in front of the larger mirror on the vanity in his dressing room. He had been fighting back a pimple for the better part of a week, and he couldn’t tell whether it had admitted defeat or was plotting to spring up right in the middle of his vows.

“You look fine, dude, stop obsessing,” Sam said, throwing the little nerf basketball into the hoop he’d suction-cupped to the door. Blaine shot him a look. _Sam_ was telling _him_ to stop obsessing about his looks?

“It’s not like Kurt’s gonna refuse to marry you just because you’ve got some sun damage.”

Blaine felt his eyes go impossibly wide as he whipped back around to face the mirror. _“Sun damage?_ What are you--where do you see sun damage?” he demanded. It wasn’t that Blaine was _worried,_ he was just a bit nervous. Nervous in a way he never usually got before a performance. Because even though their plans _involved_ a performance, this was real. This was the only wedding day he would ever had, and he didn’t want to spend it blotchy and covered in zits. And of course he’d forgotten his favorite stem cell rejuvenating cream at home. Of _course._

“Don’t worry about it, squirt, that’s what stage makeup is for,” Cooper chimed in from the chaise lounge in the corner.

Blaine glared at him. “I do not have sun damaged skin.”

Cooper shrugged. “It’s barely noticeable. Sam was right, you look fine. Now can we talk about me for a minute?”

Blaine didn’t fight the way the corners of his mouth twitched into a smile. Cooper’s familiar level of self-absorption was strangely soothing to his nerves. “Uh, sure, Coop,” he said.

“ _Thank_ you. All anyone’s been talking about all day is you and Kurt. You aren’t the only people with roles in this performance, you know.”

Sam paused in mid-throw. “Wait, roles? Is this like...are we...is this actually a _wedding,_ dude? Or are you and Kurt doing some kind of weird NYADA thing, because I--”

“It’s a wedding, Sam,” Blaine cut in, swiveling fully around in his chair to face them both. “And Coop, you might want to remember that it’s _my_ wedding. Mine and Kurt’s. It’s not some show for you to try and steal.”

“Of course not,” Cooper said smoothly, looking offended that Blaine would consider such a thing. “That’s why I will be doing a _condensed_ version of my original one-man show: _Five Points Makes a Star._ I can’t help it if the audience is disappointed that they won’t get the full show, but today is about you and Kurt, so I’ll only need an hour.”

“Ten minutes,” Blaine corrected him. The mishap with the flowers was bad enough, and Blaine was _not_ going to put up with Cooper trying to pull focus at Blaine’s wedding on top of that. “You have ten minutes for your best man speech, Coop, and I _will_ be timing you.”

Cooper’s face fell. “Ten minutes isn’t even long enough for my opening number. Come on, Squirt. Forty-five minutes.”

“Ten.”

Cooper sighed. “Half an hour isn’t much, but I guess I could squeeze--”

 _“Ten,_ Coop. And it actually doesn’t need to include any material from your one-man show. You could just, you know...give a toast.”

Cooper sighed, crossing his arms over his chest and looking rather put-out. “I just wanted to give you and Kurt something special,” he grumbled.

“You are, Coop,” Blaine said, softening. “You’re my best man, and I wouldn’t want anyone else giving that toast. But we’ve only got the ballroom for so long, and there are other people that want to speak, plus the Vibratos flew in from Ohio just to provide the music, which includes backing vocals for anyone who might find themselves inclined to sing…”

Cooper perked up at that. “Excellent point. How quickly do you think they could learn the original score from _Five Points Makes a Star?”_

Before Blaine could respond, there was a loud series of knocks at the door, and then Mercedes strode in without waiting for a response. She was already in her butter-yellow silk bridesmaid’s dress, her hair done up and accented with red roses, but around her waist was a low-slung utility belt, to which was clipped a walkie-talkie. She held a clipboard in her hands and the expression on her face was somewhere between harried and happy.

“Hi, boys. I just wanted to let you know that I got ahold of the florist and your flowers--the _right_ flowers--are on the way. They even threw in some extras for our trouble, and they’re going to knock some money off the bill.”

“Oh, thank God,” Blaine responded on an exhale. “Thank you, Mercedes. I can only imagine how stressed out Kurt must have been.”

“Kurt was…” Mercedes tilted her lips into a small smirk. “Stressed out is one way to put it, I’ll give you that.”

Just as she finished speaking, the walkie crackled to life on her hip. _“Mercedes, we’ve got a code eggshell **and** a code aubergine. Repeat, eggshell and aubergine. Over.” _The sound of Kurt’s voice over the walkie made Blaine’s heart surge, his lips curling into a smile.

Mercedes rolled her eyes as she lifted the walkie to her lips.

“Kurt, I can’t remember all your codes. Just tell me what you need.”

Kurt didn’t argue, though the annoyance in his voice was clear when he responded. _“I need more deionized water for my facial sauna and some black shoe polish. I found a scuff mark. Over.”_

It was all so very _Kurt,_ and Blaine couldn’t fight back the silly grin that spread across his face. He couldn’t wait to spend the rest of his life with that ridiculous, beautiful, brilliant man.

“On my way,” Mercedes answered briskly. “See you boys out there,” she added, nodding to Cooper and Blaine and shooting Sam a wink and a private smile.

Sam watched the door even after she’d closed it, his eyes wide with longing. He threw the foam ball through the little basket one last time, then went to join Cooper on the chaise lounge.

“When did you know you were ready to propose to Kurt?” Sam asked, looking at Blaine. “Like, when did you _really_ know?”

Blaine considered. “It’s hard to say. I knew that I wanted to marry him since high school, but I don’t know if I can pinpoint exactly when I realized I was ready for it to happen. I think after everything that happened senior year, after it was clear that no matter what came between us we’d always find our way back to one another...I don’t know. I guess it just seemed silly to wait when I was so sure.”

Sam nodded. “I’ve been thinking about it,” he admitted. “Proposing, I mean. I think about what it would be like to be married to her all the time, and honestly, I _want_ it. And I think we might be ready.”

“Sam, if I may,” Cooper interjected, patting him on the shoulder. “Having played a lust-addled philanderer in a recently scrapped Christian Cinema project about the merits of fidelity, I think I know what you’re going through. And sex is an _excellent_ reason to tie the knot.”

Blaine closed his eyes and sighed. “Coop--”

“It’s not about sex,” Sam cut in, his voice utterly resolute. “I mean...yeah, that part’s awesome and I’m definitely looking forward to it, but if I just wanted sex I wouldn’t be with Mercedes in the first place. I want _her._ ”

Blaine smiled. He remembered being where Sam was so well. That feeling of intense longing, like he would crawl out of his skin if he couldn’t put a ring on Kurt’s finger, couldn’t make his fantasies about the future into a solid, present reality.

“Sam, all I can say is that you’ll know. When you’re ready-- _really_ ready--just listen to your gut and go for it. And don’t listen to anyone who says you’re too young.”

Sam gave a sheepish laugh, because yes, he had expressed that very concern to Blaine when he first brought up proposing to Kurt, but he’d been supportive for far longer than he’d been concerned.

“Thanks, Blaine,” he said. “And you too, Cooper, even though you were way off base. Like, way, _way_ off base. Just completely wrong.”

“Anytime,” Cooper said sincerely, giving Sam’s shoulder a squeeze, and appearing utterly oblivious to the second part of Sam’s statement.

Blaine just grinned at them both, but before he could truly savor the moment and what it might mean for Sam and Mercedes, the door to the dressing room flew open and Puck burst in.

“Blaine!” he shouted, sounding entirely too pleased for Blaine’s liking. He had a wide, proud grin that preceded a slap on the groom’s back when he reached him. Blaine could feel it smarting. “I totally knew it. I knew you and Kurt were more spice cake than white bread!”

“What on earth are you talking about, Puck?” Blaine blinked. Despite the fiasco with the flowers having been resolved, Blaine’s nerves slowly began to take over.

Puck slid his phone open and pulled up his Instagram feed. “I hope you don’t mind but I got a teaser selfie with the wedding cake,” he said, handing his phone over for Blaine to get a closer look. Next to Puck’s enthusiastic thumbs up were...

“Are those…” Blaine wanted to faint. “Fondant handcuffs?”

“Yeah! And look at that amazing detail on the ball gag on the guy’s mouth and--Dude, where are you going?”

“This isn’t happening,” Blaine tried to calmly chant over the horror looming above his head as he tore out of the dressing room and into the lobby. “Everything will be fine. Puck was just messing with me. All is w--”

“Blaine!” Rachel gasped upon seeing him race towards the huge box. She threw herself in front of the box to block his way. “I-I already called back the bakers and we’re doing everything that we can to--”

Behind her, Santana and Brittany cooed audibly as they lifted the cardboard box cover and revealed a four-tiered, red and black BDSM-decorated cake. Hair gel be damned, Blaine ran both hands through his hair and pulled.

This was _not_ happening.

He was barely listening to Rachel who was trying to calm him down with soothing tones.

“... was a mistake with the delivery… on its way to a pleasure party in Pennsylvania… Blaine, please say something...”

Brittany poked at the well-crafted fondant cat-o-nine tails beautifully draped on one side of the lower tier and turned to Santana with excitement. “Let’s keep it!” she gushed. Santana opened her mouth to say yes until she glanced at Blaine who just stood there, catatonic and pathetic. It was his big day after all, and she took pity.

Santana swiveled her head around the room and yelled, “If anyone here has a repressed Martha Stewart festering inside themselves, now would be the good time to let the bitch out!”

After a moment, Elliott came forward and calmly replaced the lid over the box. “I’m no Martha Stewart or Cake Boss, but I can work with this,” he said, cool as a cucumber. “Give me two hours tops.”

“I’ll help,” Quinn firmly stated. “We can salvage it.” Together, she and Elliott quickly removed the cake from the lobby and carried it off to the kitchen.

Rachel continued to rub Blaine’s arms in a soothing manner, seeing how his nerves were shot. “See, Blaine? We’re here to help you. We are not going to let this wedding fall apart.”

The panic coursing through Blaine seemed to shut down whatever logic he had, leaving him to turn to his most basic instinct. “I need to see Kurt,” he mumbled, moving in a random direction to begin his search for the one person who could make it all better.

“No, no.” Sam and Puck suddenly appeared at either of his side and pushed him down into a chair. “Everything will be fine,” Sam affirmed.

“Yeah. I mean what else could go wrong?” said Puck.

For a split second it seemed like Puck might actually have a point, until Tina unintentionally chose that very moment to join them with yet another development.

“Guys, bad news. Smoke machines and some lights are still in the warehouse. It’s all the way in Queens and… Oh.” She halted at seeing Blaine’s pale face. “Hi Blaine.”

Blaine’s sudden stream of expletives in four different languages shocked Sam and Puck into action. They hauled Blaine out of his chair, amidst Tina wailing her apologies for the extra stress, and took him back to the holding room where Cooper was waiting for them (“Puck, right? I just followed you on Instagram to heart that picture.”).

“We’re just going to get this lucky guy a stiff drink!” Puck announced, steering Blaine’s shoulders far, far away from the planning.

“Or Valium,” Sam said, half-joking.

As soon the three boys were out of earshot, Tina rapidly accessed her Uber app.

“Mike, come with me,” she said, tapping and swiping her phone as fast as she could. “We are going to get those lights ourselves.”

 

\-----------------------------------

Kurt’s dressing room/Skylight Ballroom, around 3:00 pm

\-----------------------------------

Kurt looked into the mirror and checked his reflection. _Damn I look good_ , he thought as he saw himself in his tux, black with dashes of dark red. It fit him perfectly and he couldn’t help his satisfaction at the fact that he had found the most perfect bowtie to go with it. It was a gradient deep red-to-black, a perfect complement to the gradient yellow-to-black bowtie that Blaine would wear. As soon as he saw the way Blaine's eyes lit up at the prospect of matching bowties, Kurt's original idea of wearing a classic necktie was thrown out the window. Gladly.

 ~~~~At least his attire was perfect. From the dark colors that just suited his pale complexion and his bright eyes to the boutonniere of tiny red and yellow rosebuds on his lapel, Kurt took comfort in knowing that fashion hadn’t failed him, it never had. His mind drifted to the moment when he found his tux. Both he and Blaine had tried many, most of them the same black without any distinct feature and the few he had found that did not fit the stereotype for a wedding tux were of some bright color that almost hurt his eyes. _Like the one Blaine wore when he proposed_ , he remembered, smiling. It was when Kurt was almost ready to give up and design his and Blaine’s outfits--despite Blaine’s protest, as he claimed that Kurt already had enough on his hands--that Isabelle presented him with the gorgeous suit he now wore. The moment he laid eyes on it he knew he had found it: _the_ tux. And here he was now with what seemed to be a loose thread on one of his jacket sleeves.

 _Why?_ Kurt let the tears of frustration well in his eyes. He had spent so much time checking every detail, planning the whole ceremony as carefully as he possibly could, working with time to spare so he could have time to rectify anything that failed, and yet it seemed as if the whole wedding was falling apart in front of him. Kurt collapsed to his chair and buried his head in his hands. If the wedding was falling apart, what could happen to the marriage?

Kurt jumped when he heard the door creaking as it was slowly opened. _Did someone knock?_ he started to wipe his face so that whoever was entering couldn’t see he had been crying.

“Hey,” Blaine said softly.

Kurt gasped and quickly jumped to his feet, turning his back to Blaine, his hands flying up to cover [his nipples out of instinct](http://33.media.tumblr.com/2dab2410fcf71f5a4b91f92cd8c2e623/tumblr_inline_n367y6czmI1sb55vw.gif). “Blaine you are not supposed to see me before the wedding. Get out!”

“I knocked,” Blaine held his hands up defensively. “And besides I was worried about you. When I asked where you were, everybody said to stay at arm's length so that I could avoid being killed by a ‘clinically insane Lady Hummel.’ Santana’s words, not mine.”

“You mock my distress, sir?”

“I do not. So are you alright?”

“I think I’ll be more alright when you exit from the room because right now my mind is displaying a bright red flashing sign that says: BAD LUCK BAD LUCK! And we don't need any more of that.”

Blaine stepped into the room, shutting the door behind him. He walked up to Kurt and embraced him from behind. "Hey, I know it has been bad, but I'm pretty sure we already filled our quota of bad luck for the day."

"Don't say that!” Kurt gasped, but he covered Blaine’s hands with his own, silently inviting him to stay close. “That's how disasters happen, Blaine. It's just like in Tarzan: Jane says that her situation couldn't get any worse and then it starts raining. I don't want it to start raining." Kurt's eyes widened with alarm. "It can't start raining inside, can it? I know the building is not that old but I've heard stories of buildings that had problems with rain the year they were built."

"Kurt, have you looked outside the window? The sun is shining so bright that I'm afraid you'll get sunburned if you don't pull the curtains."

Kurt sighed. "I'm freaking out over tiny things, aren't I?"

"You are, but so am I. Why did you think I came over here?"

"To check if I'm feeling murderous and if it’s safe for me to interact with my fellow human beings?"

"Well, there’s that, but above all I just wanted to talk to my best friend. Because the thing is, I’m getting married today. And my fiancé and I--we had this grand vision for how the day was supposed to go. But all these little things keep going wrong, and I’m kind of freaking out about it, and I really need my best friend. The one who used to get adorably nervous before performances but now is almost a Broadway superstar. The one who personalized his own clothes for fun and now is going to _Paris_ to work on fashion. I haven't found him yet and I'm in the mood for a heart to heart. Where do you think he is?"

"I'm pretty sure that if Sam is not with you he's definitely mooning over Mercedes," Kurt replied, a small smile on his lips.

"Ok, I'll go then."

"And miss on being with your best friend and fiancé? That's kind of a terrible deal."

"I can't argue with that. Let's sit, ok?

Kurt nodded and turned around. When he saw Blaine, it was as if his entire body breathed out one huge sigh. Blaine looked--there were no words for how Blaine looked. His tux fit him like a sleek, elegant glove, the suit a perfect complement to Kurt’s; black with accents of pale yellow, complete with his gradient yellow-to-black bowtie. His hair was carefully styled--not too much hair gel, but not too little either--Kurt had always referred to that particular level of gel as “Cary Grant perfect," and Blaine knew it was Kurt’s favorite look on him. His eyes were soft and his smile was easy and he looked like a modern-day prince charming.

“You look incredible,” Kurt breathed, his eyes as wide as saucers.

Blaine laughed that sweet, pink-cheeked, head-ducking little laugh of his that always reminded Kurt of the moment after their first kiss. “Thank you,” he said, his voice soft and almost shy. “So do you, Kurt, _God._ You look gorgeous.” He took Kurt’s hands in his and motioned to the with his head to the little table next to the door, where a cold bottle of champagne had appeared.

“It’s our wedding day. No matter what happens, we’re going to wake up married tomorrow. It doesn’t matter what goes wrong, Kurt, it’s _us._ I...um...that bottle was supposed to be for tonight, but I thought maybe we could use it now. What do you think? You up for breaking the rules?”

Kurt grinned as Blaine walked backward toward the table, still holding on to Kurt’s hands and pulling him along with him. “Mr. Anderson, I’m not that kind of boy,” he protested, his voice high, light and flirty.

Blaine pulled him to a stop and kissed him. “Yes, you are,” he mumbled, low and suggestive, against Kurt’s lips.

They ended up on the chaise lounge, perched on the edge to avoid wrinkling their suits, but their hands clasped between them tightly as they passed the bottle back and forth, each cool, fizzy sip calming their nerves just that little bit more. They only drank half the bottle between the two of them; just enough to calm their nerves, but not enough to actually get drunk.

They drank the champagne and they talked, and it was as if actual weights were lifted from their shoulders as all the frustrations of the day fell away and it was just the two of them, sitting and talking and sharing time together. They talked about summers in Provincetown, and whether they wanted to start with a cat or a dog, or just go ahead and get both a puppy and a kitten at once (Blaine voted for the latter option, and Kurt couldn’t really disagree). Talk of pets turned to talk of kids, which turned into the long-established argument about who would produce the more beautiful biological children. Kurt insisted that nothing could beat dark curls and olive skin and wide hazel eyes, while Blaine maintained that thick chestnut hair and glasz eyes and perfect cheekbones were the loveliest features there were.

They talked about new fixtures for the bathroom and the merits of buying good olives in bulk and the best schools in New York to send their future children and the charities they wanted to create when they were filthy rich.

When Kurt finally glanced up at the clock, he couldn’t bring himself to freak out over how soon the ceremony was going to start. He smiled and stood up, walking over to the vanity and opening a small box he had placed there.

“This pin belonged to my mother,” he said, holding up a small gold pin of a bird in flight. “It’s my ‘something old’ for the day, and it’s almost that time. Pin it on me?”

Blaine grinned. He joined Kurt at the vanity and took the little pin, attaching it to Kurt’s lapel with tender care. “There,” he said, stepping back and straightening the pin slightly before smoothing his hands down both of Kurt’s lapels. “It looks perfect.”

Kurt looked at himself in the mirror. “It really does,” he agreed. “And honestly, Blaine, so is today. No matter what happens, or what else goes wrong, it’s going to be perfect. In fact, I’m kind of glad we don’t have the smoke machine or those lights. We don’t need any of that. All we need is the two of us, these amazing suits, our guests, and our voices.”

“And the string quartet,” Blaine pointed out.

“And the string quartet,” Kurt agreed. “But that really is all we need, because no matter what else might happen, you’re going to become my husband today.”

Blaine drew Kurt close and kissed him softly. “Husband,” he repeated reverently. “I can’t wait. I’m going to keep trying to think of ways to bring you up in every conversation I have just so I can say the phrase ‘my husband Kurt’ as much as possible.”

Kurt smiled against his lips and kissed him again.

Just then, the door flew open, and Tina burst into the room, panting and clutching her side. She held up a finger to indicate that she needed a minute to catch her breath as Kurt and Blaine pulled out of their embrace and stared at her.

“I did it,” she finally gasped, triumph clear in her voice. “I had to go all the way to Queens and bribe the attendant at the warehouse and haul all that equipment back across town in a cab, but I got your smoke machine and lights. Now, we’re going to have to delay the ceremony to get everything set up, but Artie’s been working on a new comedy bit, so if we put him on stage and say it was part of the plan all along, I think we can pull it off. I’m not sure how long his act is, though, and we might need--oh! Blaine, what about your brother? He could do scenes from his one-man show. Like dinner theater but...wedding theater. We can just pretend it’s some hip New York thing. People will believe that. The point is, we just need to figure out who is going to get up on stage and stall, and the show can go on!”

“Oh...Tina, thank you,” Blaine said sweetly, “but, um...we kind of just agreed that we don’t really need all that stuff. Because...we have each other and that’s...um...all we…” Blaine swallowed hard at Tina’s razor sharp glare. “...need?” he finished feebly, flashing Tina the most winning smile he could manage.

 _“Are you serious?”_ Tina all but screamed. “Do you have any--after all that--are you _serious?”_

“We really appreciate it, Tina,” Kurt offered. “I’m sorry. It’s just--it’s been a crazy day, and we both just had kind of a reality check, and I think it might be better if we keep things simple.”

Tina rolled her eyes and yanked the bottle of champagne from Kurt’s hand, throwing her head back and taking a long swig.

“Well,” she said with a sigh, “at least I’m not worried about Kurt killing anyone any more.” She took one more swig and then put the bottle on the table by the door. “Okay, well you two definitely owe me one, but you’re both practically glowing and it’s kind of impossible to be mad at you right now. So. May I escort the grooms to the ceremony?”

Blaine pulled Tina into a tight hug. “Of course you can,” he said, smiling, into her hair, before stepping back and allowing her to lead them out of the room to where the people they loved were waiting to watch them get married.

 

\-----------------------------------

The Skylight Ballroom, a few minutes before 4:00 pm

\-----------------------------------

The murmur of guests speaking to one another softly filled the ballroom, the space surrounding the stage and seating area softly lit and surrounded by artfully arranged pale silk hangings, giving the space a cozy and private feel. On the stage in front of the chairs, a string quartet was warming up off to the left, a simple white lattice wedding arch set in the middle of the stage, woven through with white fairy lights and wedding flowers, and looking like something out of a fairy tale.

It wasn’t her wedding, but Mercedes was nervous.

Definitely more nervous than Kurt.

Somehow the high-strung groomzilla she’d spent the day trying to appease had morphed into a calm and stoic presence, his face relaxed and nearly glowing as he surveyed the scene before them through a gap in the silk, Mercedes and Rachel standing on either side of him. Rachel squeezed his hand as Carole headed toward them with a smile.

“They’re all ready for you, sweetie. Why don’t you go ahead and get in place.” Kurt nodded and kissed her cheek, before turning to face Rachel and Mercedes, both of them beautiful in their pale yellow dresses, their dark hair in sleek updos and decorated with small red roses.

“This is it,” he said, beaming at them. “I can’t tell you how much it means to me to have my girls with me today. Thank you so much for...for just everything. Especially for not losing your temper with me today, because I don’t think anyone would have blamed you.”

“Oh, you owe us all right,” Mercedes replied. “I think we’ve both earned full bridezilla rights after this.”

“I would _never_ be a bridezilla,” Rachel objected, and they laughed their way into a group hug.

“Go,” Rachel whispered, pecking Kurt on the cheek. “You’re gonna miss your cue.” Kurt nodded, his eyes wet and bright and overfull with joy. He gave Mercedes a kiss on the cheek to match the one he’d just received from Rachel, before disentangling himself from their embrace and heading toward his place. Keeping their arms linked, both women went to wait in their assigned place as well.

It was only another couple of minutes before the quartet stopped their warm-up, allowing a blanket of quiet to settle across the room, conversations amongst guests trailing off into a barely-there murmur. When they resumed playing, it was the beginning of [a gorgeous melody](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWKToismBFs), and it was time.

Carole, Pam, Mercedes, Rachel and Jan, the officiant, were gathered in back of the seating area and to the left. Jan broke away from the group first to walk toward the back of the aisle. Her wife Liz approached from the right, and the two proceeded to walk down the aisle between the rows of chairs, arm in arm. They parted with a soft kiss at the end of the aisle, Liz taking a seat in the front row while Jan made her way up to the stage.

Next, Rachel made her way to the aisle with Cooper. He looked utterly dashing in his tux, and as they headed down the aisle and toward the stage, she allowed herself the small, selfish indulgence of imagining that she was walking a red carpet, her gorgeous leading man at her side, the assembled guests her adoring fans, each one desperate for an autograph. It was Kurt and Blaine’s day, of _course_ it was, but a harmless little fantasy didn’t hurt anyone, did it?

Burt escorted Pam down the aisle after after Rachel and Cooper. Both sets of parents had talked about it and decided that they each liked the symbolism of walking down the aisle with their soon-to-be in-law, a gesture to the fact that they were soon to be joined as one big family by the love their boys shared.

Carole, holding an uncharacteristically quiet Charlotte in her arms, followed on Richard’s arm, and then it was Mercedes’ turn.

She took a deep breath, thankfully walking toward the aisle on stable legs, though they felt like they were made out of jelly.

By the time she got to the back of the aisle, Sam was already waiting there, and he was so handsome it nearly made her heart stop. His hair was neatly styled, his face clean-shaven and his tux fit him like a glove. He wore a small boutonniere of tiny red and yellow rosebuds, and he smelled _incredible._

He smiled that smile--that _Sam_ smile, so sincere and earnest and joyful, and held out his bend arm. “My lady,” he said, in a terrible English accent (or maybe it was supposed to be Irish? It was honestly impossible to tell), that was probably supposed to be an impression of some sort. All Mercedes could do was clutch his arm and trust her legs and Sam’s momentum to move her forward because she was about to _walk down the aisle with Sam._

As they made their way toward the stage, it was impossible not to think about it. To think about what it would be like if this was _their_ wedding day. If they were the ones promising each other forever. If it was their parents up on that stage, looking so proud they might burst.

She let herself sneak a gaze at Sam, and found him watching her intently--so intently that she was amazed he hadn’t steered the two of them directly into a row of guests.

For a brief moment it felt like time stood still. Just a brief moment before they turned back to face ahead, climbing the little staircase up to the stage, but in that moment Mercedes could have sworn she saw a promise of forever in Sam’s eyes.

Tina watched from the audience as her friends found their places on the stage. She knew she was probably the first person to start crying, especially when Santana, seated to her right, muttered “seriously, Tina?”, but she didn’t even care. Everything was beautiful and the love in the room was so strong it was almost a physical thing. Besides, Santana’s eyes didn’t look their driest either.

There was a small in the music, and then [the string quartet’s tempo picked up a bit](http://likearumchocolatesouffle.tumblr.com/post/119218025195/this-track-combines-the-vocals-from-the-glee) and the lights around them dimmed noticeably. And then Blaine’s voice, strong and clear, was projected across the room as he began to sing.

_Never knew, I could feel like this,  
Like I've never seen the sky before _

He wasn’t immediately visible, but before long he emerged from behind the curtains and walked down the aisle, singing his heart out, open and joyful and unashamed.

 _Seasons may change, winter to spring_  
But I love you, until the end of time  
Come what may, come what may I  
will love you until my dying day

He paused when he reached the base of the stage, turning to face stage left. The silk hangings rippled, and then Kurt stepped out from behind them, joining Blaine and harmonizing beautifully.

_Suddenly my life doesn't seem such a waste  
It all revolves around you_

They sounded amazing together. More than amazing.

Rachel was staggered by the strength of their performance. She had heard them perform countless duets. _Countless._ Sometimes she had to take the microphones in her dads’ basement away from them, _that_ kind of countless. But this was the first time a duet between the two of them made her cry, and for no other reason than the pure, unbearable love that radiated from their very cores. Her red carpet fantasy completely forgotten, she wiped her eyes as discreetly as possible and watched as they walked slowly toward one another. Their eyes were locked and shining, their hearts bared for all to see, though they seemed barely aware that there was anyone there to see them at all, they were so absorbed in one another.

 _Storm clouds may gather,_  
And stars may collide  
But I love you (I love you)  
Until the end of time (Until the end of time)

Still singing, they climbed the stairs up the stage together. Still singing, they walked to opposite sides of the stage and then slowly walked back toward one another, meeting in the middle in front of the arch, bracketing Jan. As they sang the last line of the song together, they reached out and wrapped their arms around one another, sinking into a sweet embrace and lingering in it, looking as if they would be perfectly happy to stay that way forever.

All the guests, those on stage as well as those seated in front of it, burst into applause.

They did move apart--finally--as the quartet played the last notes of the song, stepping back just far enough to hold their hands clasped between them. Both of their faces were tear-streaked and beaming, and neither man could remember ever seeing anything more beautiful in his life.

Kurt felt like he was standing on a cloud. All traces of nerves had long since melted away, and all he could see was Blaine.

Beautiful Blaine, so talented, so perfectly imperfect, so _his._ Blaine, who had just sounded better than Kurt had ever heard him sound. Blaine, who always looked at Kurt like he was the most precious thing in the universe, and who somehow managed to look even _more_ like that than ever before as he stood facing Kurt on the stage, gripping his hands like he might fly away if he let go.

Kurt understood the feeling.

He forced himself to listen to Jan as she began to speak, particular sentiments standing out more vividly than others, his eyes never leaving Blaine’s.

“...and the first time I met Blaine, he was shopping for an engagement ring for his ex-boyfriend...”

They both laughed, giddy and delirious, as she talked about seeing them together for the first time. About how she’d never seen two young people so in love. About how much they had weathered together, about how they were two-in-a-billion.

“...if anyone were to ask me what true, deep, soulmate love looks like, I would tell them to look at Kurt and Blaine.”

It was Blaine’s turn to read his vows first, and he swallowed thickly, his hands clasped tightly to Kurt’s, his beautiful face radiating a love so pure Kurt hadn’t believed it could exist before he met Blaine.

“Kurt,” he began, saying Kurt’s name in that way he sometimes did; like it was a benediction, something sacred, his voice catching slightly on the “t” at the end. “Before I met you, I was all right, but things were kind of heavy. You brought me to life.” Kurt bit his lip, more tears than he’d already shed threatening to emerge. Even if all Blaine did was recite the words to _Teenage Dream,_ it would still be the most beautiful vow he’d ever heard.

“I sang those words to you the day I met you,” he continued, “and I couldn’t have known how true they would turn out to be. I thought I was living, Kurt. I thought I knew what that meant. But meeting you was like seeing color for the first time after a lifetime of black and white. You illuminated my world, Kurt, and you still do. Every day.”

Kurt didn’t bother fighting the tears back anymore, even disentangling a hand from Blaine to accept a tissue from Jan.

“A few years ago, I made you some promises when I gave you a different ring,” Blaine said. Kurt bit his lip, nodding, as the memory flooded back.

“And all those promises are still good. I still promise to always love you, to defend you, even when I know you’re wrong.” Blaine paused, grinning at the smattering of laughter that elicited. “I still promise to surprise you, to pick up your phone calls, to bake you cookies at least twice a year, and to kiss you wherever and whenever you want, except right now, because we really should wait until the appropriate part of the ceremony for that.” Kurt mock-scowled at that, and Blaine responded with an apologetic smile, lifting Kurt’s hand to his lips and kissing it.

“I still promise to always, _always_ love you, Kurt. You are perfectly imperfect, and you always will be. But now there’s a new ring, and with a new ring comes new promises.

I promise to never go to bed angry, no matter how stubborn either one of us is being. I promise to never give up on you. I promise to trust that you will never give up on me, even when I’m feeling insecure. I promise to rub your feet once a week, and to always tell you how great you look, because you always do.

But most of all, I promise to be your husband. I promise to be your best friend, your lover, your confidante, and anything else you need me to be, for the rest of our lives. I promise that I love you, Kurt Hummel, fearlessly and forever.”

Kurt closed his eyes. “Right now I think I need you to hug me,” he managed to whisper, exhaling gratefully when he was scooped into Blaine’s arms without a moment’s hesitation. He clung tight, breathing in the familiar scent of his almost-husband, the warmth and safety of Blaine’s arms grounding him, helping him find his center once again.

Kurt pulled back and smiled at Blaine’s gorgeous, serene face, his favorite face in the entire world, and took a deep breath before beginning his own vows.

Blaine wasn’t sure if he could make it through the whole ceremony. His entire body and soul vibrated with wanting Kurt: wanting to hold him, to kiss him, to take him home to their bed. He had thought he was prepared for the intensity and intimacy of marrying Kurt, but he had clearly overestimated his abilities. Because Kurt, face pink and eyes swollen from tears, looking at Blaine like that, was the most incredible thing he’d ever seen.

He’d seen Kurt vulnerable before. He’d seen Kurt open and trusting. He’d seen Kurt look at him with so much love in his eyes it almost hurt to behold it. But he’d never seen _this._ It was like Kurt was opening himself up to Blaine on a whole new level. His eyes were somehow both soft and raw, tender and exposed and unafraid.

Blaine was helpless to do anything but stare at Kurt and fall even more deeply in love.

Kurt dabbed at his eyes before tucking the tissue he held away in his pocket. He took a deep breath and squared his shoulders, slipping his free hand back into Blaine’s and threading their fingers together.

“Blaine,” Kurt began, “when I met you I thought you were a superhero. I was so broken and afraid, and I thought you would swoop in and save me. It didn’t really occur to me that you were just another kid in small-town Ohio trying to figure things out. But over time, I’ve come to realize that my first instinct was the right one. You _are_ a superhero. The very best kind of superhero.”

Blaine’s face ached with how hard he was smiling, his eyes prickling with fresh tears. Kurt smiled back.

“You saved me, Blaine, mostly by showing me that I could save myself. By _believing_ that I could. You stood beside me always, from the very first day I met you, and you have never, _ever_ made me feel like I wasn’t enough.

You are the best kind of superhero, because your superpowers are loyalty and kindness and acceptance and strength and _courage_. Your character, your heart, your soul--they belong to a hero. I never feel safer than when I have you beside me.”

 _“Kurt,”_ Blaine whispered, overcome. He felt a tear slide down his cheek but he didn’t move to wipe it away. He couldn’t bear to let go of Kurt’s hand.

“When I met you, I thought you were destined to be my gorgeous gay savior,” Kurt said, his lips twisting into a wry smile as Blaine laughed through his tears. “But it turns out that you were destined to be my _partner,_ though I did get the ‘gorgeous’ and ‘gay’ parts right. And Blaine, I promise to be the kind of partner that you deserve. I can’t promise I won’t make mistakes, because I almost definitely will, but I promise to always try. I promise to listen. I promise to be there. I promise to stay. I promise to do everything I can to be your hero, because you, Blaine, are mine. And I am never saying goodbye to you.”

They had to disentangle their hands in order to exchange rings, and it wasn’t easy because they were both a _mess._ Blaine wished they could have some sort of intermission just so he and Kurt could cling to one another and sob for about ten minutes. He was feeling so much he could barely contain it in his body, and it was obvious that Kurt felt the same way.

He managed to accept Kurt’s ring from Cooper with shaking fingers, slipping it onto Kurt’s finger where his engagement ring used to be. [The ring](http://www.thornjewellery.co.uk/meister-three-black-diamond-men-s-ring.html) was understated but elegant, smooth titanium with three tiny black diamonds at the center. On the inside, now snug against Kurt’s finger, was simple inscription: _Blaine Loves Me Always._

Kurt was crying in earnest when he retrieved Blaine’s ring from Rachel, his hands shaking almost violently as he slid it onto Blaine’s finger. The ring was identical to Kurt’s, and _Kurt Loves Me Always_ was inscribed inside. The ring was a comfortable weight against Blaine’s finger, a physical embodiment of the commitment he’d just made, and he loved the feeling immediately.

It felt like the ceremony had taken forever, like it had been years since he’d felt Kurt’s lips against his own, but when Jan finally spread her arms wide and pronounced them husbands, Blaine couldn’t believe it was all over so fast. His eyes locked on Kurt’s at _I now pronounce you husbands,_ and the words were barely out of Jan’s mouth before Blaine’s lips were on Kurt’s. He threaded his fingers into Kurt’s hair and wrapped his other arm around Kurt’s waist, kissing him hard and deep and with all the feeling pent up inside of him since Kurt had emerged from behind that silk curtain and walked toward him in front of the stage.

Kurt was clinging just as tightly, deepening their kiss like no one was watching, and it took Blaine a moment to remember that there were other people there at all.

Even when they pulled apart, he couldn’t stop himself from swooping back in for a dozen more tiny kisses, each sweeter than the last, Kurt grinning against his lips.

Blaine didn’t care. He wasn’t done kissing his husband hello just yet, and the rest of the world could just wait until he was.

 

\-----------------------------------

Around 5:30 pm

\-----------------------------------

After a brief cocktail hour, everyone trailed back into the ballroom, which had been transformed by the catering staff for the reception. The first thing the guests noticed were the lines of fairy lights strung across the ceiling that twinkled like stars. Second were the scattered assortment of red and yellow flower petals surrounding each table’s centerpiece as they sat down. A space had been cleared for dancing between the tables and the stage, and beyond the dance space, perpendicular to the stage, was a long silk-draped table for the wedding party. The stage itself was empty save for a microphone positioned front and center, and three additional microphones, as well as a drum set, keyboard and two guitars set back at stage right. The setup for the string quartet remained at stage left.

Between the guests and the head table stood a small platform holding a gorgeous and utterly transformed wedding cake. It had four-tiers, the red fondant had carefully been replaced with white, and it was decorated with descending red and yellow flowers and thin vines:

After everyone had gotten settled and drinks had been poured, the scattered hubbub of the party merged into unified applause as Burt, Carole, Richard and Pam walked onto the stage. Baby Charlotte was in Burt’s arms, but he handed her off to Carole so he could hold the mic. “I’m not gonna say much, ‘cause I’m not very good at talking and crying at the same time,” Burt said with a self-effacing grin. The guests laughed lightly.

“When Kurt first told me he was gay, I was terrified. I was worried about what the world held for him, about all the hateful people who would try to stand in his way. And I wasn’t sure how to be a father to a boy whose life would be so much different than mine. How do you teach a kid to have the kind of bravery that you never had to develop yourself?”

Kurt noticed Santana at a nearby table dabbing at the corners of her eyes.

“And then one day, Kurt came home from spying on one of his school’s rival show choirs—which, to be honest, is sneakier than a lot of the tactics my opponents have come up with during campaign season.” Burt looked at Kurt. “Son, there’s still time to change your career path. I think you’d make a great politician.”

The room burst with laughter, and Jake and Puck hooted: “Kurt Hummel for president!” while Kurt turned pink with happy embarrassment.

“Anyway, Kurt came home from this secret mission and I swear, that whole week whenever he thought no one was listening, he’d start singing about going all the way with a hottie in skin-tight jeans. Maybe you’ve heard it? It goes—” Burt took a deep breath and started in a low monotone, “ _You make me feel like I’m livin’ a teenage dream, the way you turn me on.”_

Kurt buried his face in Blaine’s shoulder, both their bodies shaking with silent laughter.

“But that wasn’t the only change. There was something different about the way Kurt carried himself, too. He seemed…lighter.” Burt paused, swallowing around tears that were fighting their way up. “I’d gotten used to a Kurt who carried the weight of the world on his shoulders. He was so serious about things, and I hardly ever saw him smile unless he was singing or bedazzling his coveralls. But suddenly he started smiling for no reason at all. I remember one weekend morning when he was teaching me how to make crepes, and I caught him looking out the window with the biggest smile on his face. I hadn’t seen him so happy since he was in preschool, planning weddings for his Power Rangers figurines. And I watched him for a while and then I asked him, ‘What is it, Kurt?’

“He looked at me, startled, like he’d forgotten I was in the room. But he didn’t stop smiling. He said, ‘It’s a really beautiful day, Dad. I’m glad to be alive.’”

Burt started singing again:

 _Before you met me, I was alright._  
But things were kinda heavy.  
You brought me to life.

His voice wasn’t beautiful. He could barely carry a melody. But it was perfect. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house.

Burt cleared his throat. “And at that moment, all I wanted to do was meet the boy who’d set my Kurt free and thank him for doing what I hadn’t been able to.”

_The loft was quiet when Kurt got back from walking Blaine to his hotel the night before the wedding. Charlotte was fast asleep in her carrier, leaving Carole free to zonk out on the couch. Carole’s mouth was open and she was lightly snoring, like Finn used to when he’d fall asleep in the living room._

_Burt was sitting at the end of the couch, his lap under Carole’s propped feet. He nodded a greeting to Kurt but didn’t say anything. Instead, he gently removed Carole’s feet from his lap and stood up. “We should probably leave the two sleeping beauties in peace,” Burt whispered once he was next to his son. “Wanna hang out on the fire escape for a bit?”_

_Kurt nodded and they went over to the tall window that led onto the fire escape. It was already open, but he pushed the window up a little more so his dad wouldn’t have to crouch so much as he stepped through._

_It was dark outside, but their faces were partially illuminated by the light streaming out of the loft. Burt reached into his pocket and pulled out a small velvet jewelry box. “Here you go, kid.” He took Kurt’s hand and set the box in it. “Or maybe I should stop calling you ‘kid.’ You’re almost married now.”_

_“I’ll always be your kid, Dad.”_

_“Good. I’m glad.” Burt blinked and looked away from his son, out toward the shadowy alley below. When he returned his gaze to Kurt, his eyes were glistening. He pointed to the box. “That’s something old. I know it’s usually bride who gets old things, but I also know how superstitious you are. I couldn’t see you saying no to a good luck charm. ”_

_“You know me well. I already have my light blue socks laid out on the bed for tomorrow,” Kurt said. “And I’m bringing a couple extra pairs to the ballroom just in case. ‘Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue.’”_

_Burt chuckled. “Well I hope you’ve already borrowed something for your outfit tomorrow. Because this isn’t a loan, Kurt. It’s a gift.”_

_Kurt opened the box to reveal a small gold pin of a bird in flight. It had been an anniversary gift from Burt to Kurt’s mother a few months before Kurt had been born. It had sat in Burt’s watch tray ever since she’d died._

_Kurt swallowed heavily. “I can’t take this, Dad. You love this.”_

_“Yes, you can,” Burt said. “Now look at the back. I don’t think you’ve ever seen the inscription.”_

_Kurt loosened the pin from its mount and turned it over. In the light from the window, he read, “‘I wasn’t free until I met you.’”_

_“Meeting your mother let something in my heart out that I hadn’t even known was penned up. It was like I’d lived in one room all my life. And then she opened the door, and I found out life was a mansion,” Burt said. “And having you as my son—you’ve freed me, too, Kurt. I used to be trapped by my ideas about how the world was supposed to work, about how people were supposed to be and act. I thought everyone should just fit into the boxes society had created for them, and be happy about it. I was pretty happy in my own box. I didn’t understand how those boxes just didn’t work for so many people. Or how they were keeping me from loving my son the way he needed to be loved.”_

_“Dad—” Kurt choked back tears._

_“So this pin belongs to you, Kurt. It belongs to you because you freed me. And now you’ve found someone to make you just as free.”_

_Kurt threw his arms around his dad and held him close. “You’re definitely the world’s greatest dad.”_

_“Only because I’ve got the world’s greatest kids.”_

_Kurt handed the pin back to Burt as they parted. Burt looked confused until Kurt said, “Pin it on me? I want to wear it now.”_

_Burt smiled. “It would be an honor.”_

\---

Kurt ran his fingers absently over the pin, which Blaine had repinned to his lapel before the ceremony.

“Unfortunately, when I did finally meet Blaine, I was too distracted by the fact that he was _in my son’s bed_ to thank him properly.”

Laughter, red-cheeked embarrassment.

Eye contact. “So, Blaine. Let me thank you now. Thank you for bringing my son back to life. Thank you for understanding him in ways that I couldn’t. Thank you for being there for him. And thank you for becoming part of our family.”

Blaine swallowed thickly and nodded at Burt, overcome by the fact that this man was now part of his family. He and Kurt exchanged wet smiles, and then laughed through their tears as their four parents then proceeded to perform a small, ridiculous skit about the “rules of marriage.”

\---

Sam clutched the microphone in his hand. “So I know best men are supposed to give a speech and all, but I’m not really good at talking in front of people unless I’m doing celebrity impressions, and my girlfriend said that probably wouldn’t be appropriate unless I could somehow relate them to Kurt and Blaine.”

Above the crowd’s laughter, a disappointed Brittany could be heard saying, “But that one of Justin Bieber would have been perfect!”

As the laughter bubbled down, Sam continued. “But if I’m not so good at talking, I hear I’m pretty decent at singing. So I’m going to sing a song that Blaine once told me always made him think of his relationship with Kurt.” He turned and nodded at them. “Blaine and Kurt, I hope all of us have the chance to be as lucky as you two.”

He picked up a guitar from the back of the stage and started a simple guitar melody.

 _I don't get many things right the first time._  
In fact, I am told that a lot.  
Now I know all the wrong turns, the stumbles, and falls brought me here.

Kurt looked at Blaine, his eyes watering for what must have been the hundredth time that day and was nowhere near the last. “Dance with me,” he mouthed. He took Blaine’s hand and led him onto the dance floor: just the two of them, heads bent together, wrapped in each other’s arms.

 _And where was I before the day that I first saw your lovely face._  
Now I see it every day.  
And I know that I am, I am, I am, the luckiest.

Kurt and Blaine saw no one but each other. They didn’t notice the way Sam’s eyes kept drifting over to Mercedes, or the way his voice almost broke when he sang,

_I love you more than I have ever found the way to say to you_

\---

Cooper practically skipped to the microphone, gleaming and grinning handsomely. Kurt placed a sympathetic hand on Blaine’s shoulder as the latter’s eyes widened anxiously.

“Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. Especially the ladies,” Cooper began, running a hand through his thick hair and winking roguishly.

“Oh god,” Blaine groaned. He hid his face behind a hand.

“I may need no introduction but for formality’s sake, my name is Cooper Anderson, Blaine’s brother, and not to be confused with the CNN silver fox. I can see you gasping in recognition over there.” He pointed to no one in particular. “Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I am THAT guy from the Free Credit Rating Today commercial. Don’t worry, you can all get your selfies and autographs after this speech.

“Right, so let me tell you a story. I really hope I don’t trip on my words because I’ve just spent the whole wedding ceremony standing next to this beautiful and very talented lady. Hi Rachel, let’s talk some more later, alright?” He shot a grin and wink at Rachel, who visibly blushed and giggled. “So I was in the middle of a conversation with Chris Evans and I was like, ‘Hey Cap, I also auditioned for Captain America too, y’know?’ And then my mother called. She was inviting me to come home to a family dinner next month to officially meet Kurt. I’m like, ‘Who’s Kurt??’. So after that call, I said to Chris: ‘Wow. I just got invited to a family dinner to meet my brother’s new boyfriend. MY baby brother has a boyfriend! This is awesome!’”

“Make him stop,” Blaine moaned. Kurt shook his head and tried to stifle his giggles.

“Being the protective, older brother I am, I wanted to meet Kurt first before mom and dad. So I drove up to McKinley, surprised Blaine, met Kurt briefly, then gave a masterclass on acting to their glee club, signed a lot of autographs. After that I went home to email my agent... And in the middle of chatting with Joss Whedon, I suddenly remembered that I have this signed half-naked poster of Adam Levine that I wanted to surprise Blaine with. So I went up to his room, planned on taping it to his ceiling above his bed, and lo and behold... I officially met Kurt!”

Through his reddening face, Kurt managed to laugh along with the others and only stopped to cough with grace and dignity. Blaine wanted to die.

Cooper was clearly enjoying the bouts of laughter he caused. “Fast forward to the dinner. Kurt and Blaine would not look at me at all! Which was a shame ‘cause I did use this new moisturizer that wasn’t out on the market yet…

“Anyway, they couldn’t look at me, right? But whenever they looked at each other, Blaine had this smile. I’ve…never seen him smile like that before. And thanks to him, I landed that commercial gig for Folger’s. The director loved that smile!”

Cooper pointed dramatically at Kurt. “You put that smile on my Blainey’s face, Kurt. You keep putting that smile on him for the rest of your days.” He paused for effect and let his eyes water at will. With a hand on his chest, he continued. “Now I may not be Finn, and I’ll never be him. But… it would do me great honor to be your big brother when you need it the most.”

Kurt’s eyes filled with emotion and nodded enthusiastically. Even Blaine lifted his head to clap along with the crowd, a proud smile on his face.

“Welcome to the Anderson family, Kurt,” said Cooper with a wink. “And thank you all for coming to the wedding!”

Loud cheers and applause followed Cooper out as he strutted back to his seat next to Rachel whom he promptly fell into a discussion with, but not before he mouthed at Blaine: “Ten minutes, bro.”

\---

“...You’ve given me hope,” Unique said with much sincerity. “You two helped me realize that I also deserve happiness like yours...”

\---

“After Kurt sang Blackbird,” Wes said, flanked by David, Jeff, Thad, Nick, and other various Warblers. “All we ever talked about that day was how Blaine never took his eyes off Kurt for the rest of the day.”

“For the rest of the week,” Jeff injected.

“This is for you, boys.” And all the Warblers in attendance reunited their voices for this one night for a heartfelt acapella rendition of Blackbird.

_You were only waiting for this moment to arise_

\---

When it was her turn to make a speech, Brittany rolled out her laptop, camera, and a steaming pot of fondue to the microphone and began set up. She only stopped, disappointed, when Santana and Tina quickly had to lead Brittany away from Kurt’s murderous glare.

\---

Puck was already drunk and emotional by the time it was his turn.

“You guys made me believe that there is such thing as forever. Forever is real!” he was sobbing.

“Sh-should we help him or...?” Kurt was looking both concerned and uncomfortable. Blaine seemed at a lost at what to do until he spotted Lauren getting up from her seat and edging her way towards the microphone.

“I think Lauren’s got this,” Blaine murmured back, relaxing.

“And can everyone clap for those who made this wedding happen? This wedding is like the gay wedding I’ll never have!”

Lauren took that cue to wrestle the microphone from his hand, then dragged him away from public view.

\---

Sue was wearing a track suit, per usual, but at least it was black (with black stripes). Kurt had made it clear that she was to be stopped at the door if she wouldn’t dress properly for a classy wedding.

“I want to thank you all for coming to my daughter Robin’s third birthday party,” she drawled. “I don’t know who you are though,” she added, pointing to Blaine’s parents. “So maybe you should leave because I’m uncomfortable having strangers around my only child…”

Lauren grabbed her around the waist, physically lifted her into the air, and marched her off the stage. As she passed the grooms she threw a wink their way and mouthed, “You owe me one.”

\---

“Y’all know that this was going to happen,” Mercedes laughed as she adjusted the microphone cord out of the way for Artie. She handed him another mic.

“That’s glee club for you,” Artie said. “Can’t resist an open mic.” Old and new members of New Directions laughed knowingly .

Mercedes cleared her throat and began her speech. “Hi guys, I’d really like to say a few words about Kurt and Blaine. But every time I think about what these boys have gone through, I swear I always cry.” She grinned, ducking her head down in slight embarrassment. “So as part of glee club tradition, we’ll just sing for you.”

“So Blaine, Kurt,” Artie said, grinning at the couple. “Congratulations again, my friends. This one is for you and for everyone else decades older than us.”

The pianist behind them played a couple of flourishing notes before settling into a sweet, slow melody. In bold tunes, Mercedes [sung](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Qd48ivW6mI).

_At last, my love has come along  
My lonely days are over and life is like a song, oh yeah_

Artie smoothly picked up the next line.

 _At last the skies above are blue  
_ _My heart was wrapped up in clover the night I looked at you_

Their voices together was nostalgic and romantic enough to get a few people swaying to the music. By the end of their vocal riffs, the room filled with cheers and the clinking of silverware against glass. Carried by the song, Kurt and Blaine obliged the crowd with a loving kiss.

They stared at each other for a few seconds after pulling away. And in sync, as though they both were thinking of the same thing, their eyes both dropped to the rings on their fingers. Then their eyes met again.

 _Husbands_?

_Husbands._

 

\-----------------------------------

The Skylight Ballroom, New York City 7:00p.m.

\-----------------------------------

Rachel stepped up to the microphone and tapped it twice. It squealed with feedback for a moment before quieting again.

“We’d like to thank everyone for those lovely speeches, but now it is time for our grooms to have their first dance!” She announced. “I know that Sam sang his speech, and there was a little dancing then, but this is their official first dance, with the special song they have chosen.” She eyed the photographer keenly, “so everybody pay attention!”

Rachel nodded her head toward the string quartet behind her. Slowly [the cello began, smooth and slow](https://youtu.be/6U9oduO68Dw?t=4s). The melody wasn’t familiar at first, but Kurt and Blaine knew what it was. Blaine stood and held out his hand to Kurt. Kurt grinned and gripped it like it was the most important thing in the world. They walked to the center of the room, lifted their arms to rest on shoulders and backs, and pulled each other close.

As one of the violin players joined the cellist, the song was recognizable as _Somewhere Only We Know_. Quinn found herself crying as she remembered the day that Kurt had returned to McKinley from Dalton, and Blaine had brought the Warblers to sing to him in the courtyard. It seemed obvious now that they had known, even then, that they were meant to be together. Maybe they hadn’t consciously realized it, but on some level they seemed to have always known. Quinn hoped that when she found her Mr. Right that she’d be able to recognize him so quickly.

Kurt bent his head down to whisper in Blaine’s ear. “We had been together for a few weeks when I told you I was never saying goodbye to you. It looks like I was right.”

Blaine squeezed his husband tighter. “I should have made you promise to never get taller than me either.”

Kurt’s burst of laughter was intercepted by an emotional sniff, and the result was an utterly unattractive snort.

Blaine giggled. “Wow, see what I have to put up with?”

“You’re the one who kissed me first, and who begged me to get back together, and the one who proposed...I fail to see how your being stuck with me is my fault.”

“I will gladly take responsibility for our being together anytime you want.” Blaine couldn’t stop grinning, or even tone it down. “So long as we’re together, I don’t really care what anyone else thinks.”

“I love you.”

“I love you too.”

As the last strains of the string duo faded out, the band at stage right took over and a [more upbeat melody](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9dOPCcCOYus). Rachel and Mercedes were singing lead with The Vibratos backing them up.

_You can dance, you can jive, having the time of your life  
See that girl, watch that scene, digging the Dancing Queen_

“Really?” Blaine asked softly, his arms still around Kurt. “You snuck this into the playlist? I wouldn’t have thought you would want anything that would remind you of that awful prom…”

Kurt smirked. “There were a lot of awful things about that night, but this song reminds me of one really good thing about it.”

“Which was?”

“The first time we ever danced as a couple.”

“Awww,” Blaine’s smile was so wide his eyes got squinty. He leaned in to kiss Kurt. In spite of the beat, they might have kept at it if not for the cluster of friends who were soon surrounding them, bumping hips and elbows, and demanding that it turn into a dance party instead of a make-out session.

_Night is young and the music's high  
With a bit of rock music, everything is fine_

Santana, Brittany, and Dani were singing along with the song, heads thrown back in gleeful abandon. Elliott, Cooper, and a few former Dalton guys were trying to impress them (or each other), with their dancing skills, but the girls hardly noticed them.

Quinn pulled Mr. Schue and Ms. Pillsbury away from their chairs with a grin. "Mr. Schuester, I know you can dance, and you're not that old, c'mon!"

_You are the Dancing Queen, young and sweet, only seventeen_

Kurt grinned as he watched Puck with Lauren. In spite of those few months in high school, he never, ever would have pictured them getting together again. Actually he had never really pictured Puck settling down at all, and Lauren just seemed like she was too independent to want a ball and chain. But there they were, eyes only for each other, obviously very happy together.

Tina and Mike were off to the side, executing some complex footwork.

"They are so meant for each other," Blaine whispered. "We have to set them up again until they cave."

Kurt nodded his agreement, then jerked his head toward Sam. "Look at him though." Sam was dancing on the sidelines, and he wasn't moving much, both of which were unusual for him. A second glance showed why he appeared so distracted though: he was watching Mercedes, and seemed so wrapped up in it that he had just forgotten about the rest of the room.

_You're in the mood for a dance  
And when you get the chance…_

Cooper had brought Pam to the dance floor, and was twisting and spinning her so fast that Blaine felt a little dizzy just watching them.

“Look,” Kurt nudged him and pointed. Carole had just handed baby Charlotte off to Richard (who made a face like he had been handed a live bomb) and was dragging Burt to the dance floor. Neither of them was dancing on beat with the music, but they were in sync with each other, and if their grins were anything to go by, that was all that mattered.

_Dancing Queen, feel the beat from the tambourine  
You can dance, you can jive, having the time of your life_

\---

“Elliott worked wonders with this thing, but I’m still a little nervous about it,” Blaine whispered to Kurt as they posed beside the cake for a few photographs before cutting into it.

“The bakery may have sent the wrong cake,” Kurt murmured back. “But when we sampled flavors there everything was delicious. I’m sure it will be fine.”

“Smile!” the photographer hollered with far too much energy. “I’ll get the talking candids later, but let’s get a couple of good posed ones first.”

Kurt elbowed Blaine in the ribs for starting it. Blaine slid his hand low and pinched Kurt’s hip. They both smiled.

“Great, ok, whenever you’re ready you can cut!” the photographer said, scooting around to the side so she could get a closeup of their hands together on the knife.

“As long as skittles don’t fall out of the middle, I’m good,” Kurt whispered.

Blaine snickered as they pressed down and cut a tiny sliver out of the bottom layer.

“Oooooh! Red velvet!” Kurt cooed.

He wiped his finger along the knife to try the frosting, but Blaine grabbed his hand with a smirk and licked his finger off for him. Kurt’s jaw dropped. “Blaine, that was mi--”

A camera flash went off in their faces. “That’s great guys. So cute. Are you doing the feed-each other thing?”

Blaine nodded, picking up a little piece of cake with his fingers and waggling his eyebrows at Kurt. Kurt pouted at him as he gathered up his own crumbly bit of cake and held it out. Carefully they each put the cake in the other’s mouth.

Kurt moaned at the taste of it. Blaine grinned. “It’s good, huh?”

“Ya shoulda smashed it in his face!” Tina hollered.

Blaine shot her a dirty look. “Frosting is hard on your pores,” he started.

“Also I’d have hit him,” Kurt added, licking his fingers. “Now is someone else going to cut the rest of this thing or am I supposed to do it?”

\---

The grooms gripped each other’s hands and held them high in the air together as they sang the final lines of the one song their wedding would be incomplete without:

_Let you put your hands on me in my skin-tight jeans  
Be your teenage dream tonight!_

[Their duet](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SqN4_g_GwXg) was met with wild applause. “I wonder how often that song makes appearances at weddings,” Blaine whispered in Kurt’s ear as they left the stage. “A song about teenagers doing it doesn’t seem like typical wedding material.”

“Well, I fell in love with you to that song, so it was perfect wedding material.” Kurt kissed his husband on the nose. “C’mon, let’s go get something to drink.”

\---

Not five minutes later Blaine was herding Kurt out the door.

“Blaine, this is our wedding reception,” Kurt protested as Blaine dragged him down the hall.

“I know!”

“We can’t just leave, we have guests who came hundreds of miles to-umph” Kurt had to stop talking because Blaine had pushed him against a wall and was sucking on his tongue.

“Don’t you want me, baby?” Blaine mumbled into his mouth. “I missed you last night.”

“God, Blaine,” Kurt panted. “Of course I do. But our guests…”

“Are all occupied with the entertainment and the cake. We just sang a duet so we won’t be missed for a few minutes. And we can be quick. We’re good at being quick!” He winked and popped one more kiss on Kurt’s lips before dragging him a few more steps down the hall. “My dressing room is right here. C’mon.” He grinned.

“I know it’s right here, you have no idea how hard it was to stay out of it all morning,” Kurt winked back at him as they reached the door. “We really do have to be quick though, or people will notice, and you know Santana will tease us mercilessly for sneaking off mid-reception for a quickie.”

“It’s not Santana I’m worried about,” Blaine admitted as Kurt backed him up against the door and started kissing at his neck. “Actually, it’s your dad’s teasing that is the most awkward.”

“Please don’t talk about my dad right now,” Kurt whispered in his ear, pausing a moment to suck on his husband’s ( _husband’s!_ ) earlobe. “We are trying to be quick, remember?”

Kurt’s hand slid down Blaine’s side, along his ass, and fumbled at the door knob. He twisted and pushed--

“Oooh!” A startled voice came from inside the dressing room.

Kurt’s eyes flew wide as he realized who was already in there. “Tina?”

Blaine spun around. “Mike?”

“Um, hiii…” Tina said shyly, smoothing down her dress..

Blaine’s eyes narrowed. “Were you two just…”

Tina blushed furiously. Mike adjusted his pants and stammered something about how they wanted to wait until after the wedding to say anything. He glanced at the mirror and tried (without success) to wipe lipstick off his face.

“I’m so sorry,” Tina blurted.

A tiny smile played at the corner of Kurt’s mouth. He glanced at Blaine and it bloomed into a giggle. “Getting caught getting it on at a wedding? Been there!”

“We won’t tell on you if you won’t tell on us,” Blaine added solemnly. “Now if you’ll excuse us, I think there’s a coat closet down that way that is definitely waiting for us.” He grabbed Kurt’s hand and dragged him out of the dressing room and down the hall once again.

\---

Kurt and Blaine had only been back in the reception for a few moments when Nick came over and grabbed Blaine’s arm. “Blaine, we’ve been looking everywhere for you! Where were you?”

Kurt turned aside, trying to hide his blush, but he wasn’t fast enough because Nick reached out and caught him with his other hand. “And Kurt, we totally need you too. It’s a Warbler reunion, c’mon, to the stage!!”

“No, no, we already sang!” Kurt protested.

Blaine made the puppy dog eyes. “But Kurt, it’s the Warblers...we have to. I mean we met because of them, it’s fitting to sing with them at our wedding…”

“Oh fine,” Kurt chuckled as Nick pulled them toward the stage.

“Oh, and Blaine,” Nick added. “You’re singing lead, ok?”

Beside the stage Wes and David were standing shoulder to shoulder, obviously hiding something behind them. As Kurt and Blaine approached, they parted, revealing Trent, holding a pair of Warbler’s blazers.

“It wouldn’t be a Warbler number without the blazers!” Nick announced enthusiastically. “C’mon, hurry up, get dressed!”

Several of the guys stepped in to help the grooms out of their tuxedo jackets and into the navy and red ones. Nick hurriedly changed as well, and Kurt noted that the other guys had all already gone full Warbler.

“Our ties don’t match,” Blaine hissed to Kurt.

“It’s ok, these ties are way better than the polyester Dalton ones!”

Blaine laughed. “No kidding!”

“Are you ready?” Wes asked.

“I still don’t know what we’re singing,” Kurt pointed out.

“It’s ok, we’ll all just follow Blaine anyway,” David said, slapping him on the back.

Kurt shrugged. Singing backup to Blaine’s lead had bothered him once, but today he didn’t mind at all. They lined up across the stage, Blaine nodded three times, setting the beat, and they all [started in unison](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBVY_8Kxik8).

_It’s alright, it's alright_

Thad came in with his beatboxing, and the rest of the guys began swaying as they filled in the rest of the background. It only took Blaine a moment to catch on to what the song was, and he stepped forward, grinning, to belt it out.

 _I pray for better days to come,_  
I pray that I would see the sun  
Cuz life is so burdensome when everyday's a rainy one

It had been years since Kurt had sung with The Warblers, and even then he had only been part of the group for a few months. But Blaine, he had been a Warbler for much longer, and Kurt knew how he had missed them when he came to McKinley. He’d even gone back to visit (and sing with them) a few times. Once a Warbler, always a Warbler.

Kurt’s mind snapped back to the present when he felt Blaine grab his shoulder and turn to face him for a few lines.

_And suddenly there's no more clouds and I believe without a doubt  
That heaven sent an angel down and then you turned my life around_

Kurt was grinning too much to sing effective backup, but he leaned over and whispered something to Wes, who nodded and passed the message along to Nick. Somehow they managed to get the word all the way around the circle without breaking rhythm, and since Blaine was having a ball out in front he hadn’t noticed a thing.

 _When it's cold outside_  
No need to worry cuz I'm so warm inside  
You give me peace when the storm's outside  
Cuz we're in love I know  
It'll be alright

Blaine threw a wink to Kurt, and blew him a quick kiss as he prepared for the next verse. Kurt winked back as he stepped into Blaine’s spot, nudging the other man’s hip with his own and forcing him to step back. Blaine shook his head, grinning, and let Kurt take the spotlight.

_Me and all my friends, we're all misunderstood  
They say we stand for nothing but there's no way we ever could_

Blaine had never been very good at singing backup, and he preferred to listen to Kurt anyway. So he just swayed and grinned and watched the love of his life own the room with his voice.

 _It's not that we don't care_  
We just know that the fight ain't fair  
That's why we're waiting (waiting)  
Waiting on the world to change

Once a lead singer though, always a lead singer. Blaine didn’t mean to steal the spotlight back--not exactly--but if the two songs fit together, well, obviously it was meant to be.

Kurt reached the repeating refrain “ _Waiting on the world to change,”_ at the same time as Blaine came in with “ _it’ll be alright,”_ and the two parts fitted together like puzzle pieces. They caught each other’s gazes, and for a moment it didn’t matter if they were singing for an audience or singing in their living room. When they sang together, the world was right.

_It's alright, it's alright_

\---

After the song Kurt took a quick bathroom break, and when he returned he found that Blaine was sitting between his parents, talking and laughing with them, so he headed for his dad and Carole. Carole had been pacing back and forth with Charlotte over her shoulder.

“She’s exhausted, but she’s having a hard time getting to sleep. I think there’s just too much light and noise,” Carole explained.

“Can, um, can I try?”

Burt looked up, surprised, and then grinned. Carole glanced at him and then back to Kurt. “Of course, but here, take this burp cloth so she doesn’t drool on your suit!”

“Oh god, yes, thank you!” Kurt placed the lace-edged pink cloth over his shoulder and then carefully placed his baby sister against it. Gently he rocked his body back and forth as he walked with the tiny girl.

Richard Anderson watched them from across the room, only half listening to his wife’s conversation with Blaine. Kurt was carrying the baby much the same way that his stepmother had been, but with a finesse that only he could give to such a task. He moved lightly, as though dancing, and Richard smiled to himself as he watched.

“Blaine?”

Pam stopped mid-sentence (something about the dinner) and turned to her husband, mouth open in annoyance.

“What Dad?”

“You and Kurt, you’ve talked about kids, haven’t you?”

“Uh, yeah, sometimes… We don’t have any concrete plans or anything.”

“Look at him, over there with that little one.” Pam and Blaine turned to follow Richard’s gaze. Charlotte’s head lay on Kurt's shoulder now, either sleeping or on the verge. Kurt was slowly rubbing his hand up and down her back, and it looked like he was whispering or maybe singing to her.

Blaine’s head tipped to the side affectionately. “We visited when she was born. He’s really good with her.”

“You’re good with kids too, you know,” Pam elbowed Blaine fondly.

“I never really wanted to be a grandfather,” Richard confided. “Being a father is one thing, but being a grandfather...it just feels _old_. I never wanted to get that old. And of course Cooper has never been a threat on that front.” He gestured toward his older son, who was in the midst of a group of women, making over-the-top faces and undoubtedly telling them that he was a famous actor, or perhaps offering a special preview of _Five Points Makes A Star._

Blaine turned back to his father and squinted at him. “What are you trying to say, Dad?”

Richard looked Blaine square in the face. “Blaine, you’re going to be an amazing father one day. You both are. And when you’re ready for that step, well,” he paused for a moment. “I think I’m looking forward to being a grandpa.” He grabbed Blaine and pulled him into a tight hug. “We are so proud of you son, and all the things you’re doing, and have done. I don’t think I say it enough, but I want you to hear it today.”

Pam scooted her chair over and leaned in to hug him from the other side. “Now don’t you make my mascara run!” she teased, wiping at her eyes.

“Mom, you of all people should know to always wear waterproof eye makeup for a wedding!” Blaine chided.

“Of course I did,” she said, patting him on the cheek. “But sentimental moments are awkward so I dive for the humor. It’s the easy out.”

Blaine kissed the tops of both their heads. “I love you two.”

\---

Kurt saw Blaine talking with and then hugging his parents. It made him glad to see how much their relationship had improved over the last few months. He felt Charlotte’s warm breath on the side of his neck, and felt the even rise and fall of her lungs where his hand rested on her back. He spread his other hand across the back of her head as he carefully stooped to tip the baby off his chest so he could lay her in her carseat.

“Lookit that, you did it!” Burt murmured proudly.

“Thank you, seriously, I swear my arms were about to fall off,” Carole told him. “You wouldn’t think that an eleven pound infant could be so heavy, but after a few hours they really, really are!”

Kurt chuckled. “I don’t get to see her nearly as much as I’d like to. I’ve got to get time with her whenever I can.”

Burt grinned. “Ok, ok, go back to your man now. Charlotte’s asleep, she won’t miss you. And we’re just a couple of old windbags that you talk to every week anyway. Go on!”

Kurt was on his way back to Blaine when he saw Sam practically pull Blaine from the arms of his parents. Kurt slowed his pace and watched as they went over by the wall and Sam talked animatedly to Blaine for several minutes before hurrying off.

Kurt slipped up beside Blaine. “What was that about?”

“It’s um, sort of a surprise…” Blaine said vaguely.

Kurt rubbed his hands together. “Can I help?”

“Yes, actually, but I can’t tell you details until later, ok?”

Kurt nodded, “Sure, I trust you. What do you need?”

“Keep Mercedes busy for a little bit while I help Sam with something?”

“Ooooh, this sounds juicy!”

Blaine grinned. “It is, and I promise I’ll tell you all about it later. Just, take Mercedes?”

Kurt nodded. “I’m on it.”

 

\-----------------------------------

Pier facing the Brooklyn Bridge, around 10:30 p.m.

\-----------------------------------

Mercedes peered out the window of the limo, wondering what could possibly be important enough for Kurt to insist she leave his wedding reception, let alone put her in his and Blaine’s limo and send her off to some mystery location. But it was Kurt, after all--she didn’t always understand him, but she trusted him. And so here she was.

When the limo came to a stop, the intent of the trip still wasn’t apparent, but when he told her exactly where she would need to walk to, she immediately had an inkling.

And that inkling turned into full-blown hope when she saw what was waiting for her at [the familiar location](http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2014/03/18/article-0-1C60979E00000578-764_634x696.jpg).

Sam stood facing her, leaning against the railing of the pier, holding a single long-stemmed red rose.

“Sam?” She ventured, approaching him slowly. “What’s going on?”

Sam smiled, his eyes crinkling around the edges, and handed her the rose. “Thanks for coming to meet me,” he said, his voice edged with uncharacteristic nervousness.

“I could have met you at the reception. Where we both just were,” Mercedes reminded him, pulling her wrap more tightly around herself against the ever-present cool wind of the pier.

“I know. I just thought...this is kind of our place, at least in New York. And I didn’t want to do this at someone else’s wedding. I wanted it to be just us.”

“Okay,” Mercedes managed, her heart thrumming with what she was starting to dare to think this might be.

“Mercedes, I’m gonna ask you something. And it’s really huge, and I’m kind of freaking out about it, so I’m just going to do it, and I totally respect whatever answer you give me, but I really hope you say yes.”

And before Mercedes could even open her mouth to respond, Sam was down on one knee. Mercedes’ hands flew to her mouth instinctively, and she made no attempt to fight back the tears that brimmed and spilled down her cheeks.

 _“Sam,”_ she whispered through her fingers, as he pulled a small black box from his inside coat pocket.

“You are the coolest girl I’ve ever met, Mercedes,” Sam began, holding the box in both hands. “You love me the way I am, but you don’t take any crap from me either. You’re talented and warm and the way you care about people just blows my mind sometimes. When I look at you, I see the rest of my life. I see everything I want, and everything I believe in. I see home. I just want to spend my life with you and have a ton of kids and come home to you every night. ”

Mercedes managed to wipe her cheeks with shaking fingers, rooted to the spot, and it felt like the world had narrowed down to nothing but the two of them and that little box in Sam’s hands.

So...Mercedes Jones...” Sam continued, and then his voice shifted into what sounded like some sort of hybrid Boston/Brooklyn accent, though it was honestly hard to tell; [“I was wonderin', like, what do you think you’re doin' for like the next...uh... 40 or 50 years?”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-QNyiPtSGU)

Mercedes laughed through her tears at this absurd, amazing, beautiful man that she was pretty sure was trying to quote Rocky at her in the middle of a proposal.

Sam grinned up at her and opened the box. Inside was a ring. It was nothing fancy; the diamond was small. But it was pretty, and it was elegant, and it was from Sam.

[It was perfect](http://www.avianneandco.com/14k-white-solid-gold-womens-solitaire-engagement-ring-with-round-cut-center-stone-0-11-ctw.html?gclid=CjwKEAjwnKCrBRCm1YuPrtWW0QMSJAC-5UYkUdZfRt3ZqW_IN2jOgJ7bjSIXnqIltMUQ1AnMe8_N7BoClh7w_wcB).

“What I mean to ask,” Sam said, back to his normal voice, “Will you marry me?”

“Yes,” Mercedes managed to choke out before the tears consumed her all over again. She sobbed freely as Sam slid the ring onto his finger, tears of his own sliding down his own cheeks now.

Once it was on her finger, she couldn’t wait another second, and tugged him to his feet with all the strength in her body, pulling herself up onto her tip-toes as Sam leaned down and their lips met, smiling and damp.

“I love you,” she whispered against his lips, and he whispered it back immediately and kissed her again.

They held on to one another tightly, and though the wind continued to whip around them, Mercedes couldn’t imagine ever feeling cold again. Because at the moment she felt warm and joyful and _right._ It had been a good night already, witnessing the marriage of two of her best friends, but now, kissing her fiance beneath the stars, it was officially the best night of her entire life.

 

\-----------------------------------

The Skylight Ballroom, New York City 11:00 p.m.

\-----------------------------------

 _It is done_ , Blaine mused, mindlessly watching the caterers breaking and folding down tables and chairs. He was sitting at the edge of the stage, watching maintenance sweep the floor as quick as they could while others took down decorations and unplugged lights and machines from their outlets. Blaine closed his eyes and let the noises wash over his drained body.

He replayed the day’s events in his mind, feeling like everything that had happened earlier had actually happened yesterday. A lot of memories were all a blur now, except for the moment when Kurt’s eyes did that thing when he said “I do” and the swooping sensation he felt when Kurt placed the ring around his finger, bonding them together for life.

Blaine felt the warm metal around his finger and lightly stroked the three black diamond inlay.

From a distance, Burt and Kurt were in a conversation. Then Burt embraced his son, clapped his shoulder, and said, “We’ll see you two at brunch!” loud enough for Blaine to catch.

Blaine could hear the cadence of Kurt’s footsteps coming nearer and as he did, the smell of coffee wafted under his nose. That made him open up his eyes.

And it was the most beautiful sight to meet a pair of sleepy eyes. Kurt was smiling lovingly, holding two Starbucks grande coffees. “Dad ordered these after he went with Carole back to the hotel because Charlotte needed to sleep. It’s no Lima Bean, but it’ll do,” he said, handing one to Blaine and sat down to press his entire side to his husband’s. He too was bone weary as he took a sip from his own cup and laid his head on Blaine’s shoulder.

Blaine gulped down the hot liquid, feeling the caffeine rush through his body. “You know my coffee order,” he quipped. Kurt giggled at the nostalgia.

“Of course I do,” he replied, lifting his head long enough to take another sip. “We have come so far,” he whispered. His mind’s eye could see themselves as teenagers again, wrapped up in scarves and gloves and picking up their drinks from the varnished counter. He took Blaine’s hand and twined their fingers together.

“I feel silly now,” Kurt murmured. “For stressing over the flowers, the cake, everything… All for this.” He unlaced his hand to hold up the silver ring at eye level. “None of those things had anything to do with you putting this ring around my finger.” It sunk into Blaine what Kurt meant and he laughed at the sheer ridiculousness of elaborate weddings. He grabbed Kurt’s hand to kiss it.

“We could have had the wedding in the loft and we’d still be married,” Blaine agreed, smiling. “After we get back, remind me to send something nice to everyone who had to deal with the groomzillas today.”

“I suggest therapy,” Kurt smirked. “Speaking of therapy, I think I need a session or three. I cannot unsee Rachel and Cooper singing and flirting like crazy with each other.”

“Oh god,” Blaine groaned at the thought. “We may have just created a monster.”

“Imagine if they got together tomorrow.”

“See you all at therapy then?”

They shared another laugh. It was a lovely moment, he and Kurt in their tired but happy little bubble while a crew dismantled what remained of their wedding around them.

“It was nice seeing everyone in one place again,” he said. “The last time that sort of happened was Finn’s wake.”

Blaine thumbed Kurt’s hand thoughtfully. “Nothing brings friends back like shared joy and shared loss,” he said. Kurt nodded, taking another gulp of coffee. “You know when I was saying goodbye to Marley and Ryder and the others awhile ago, it was weird.”

“How so?”

Blaine scrunched up his forehead. “I was looking at them. And I was aware that while I had a lot of fun with them in glee club, I knew that it might be years until I see them again. If I see them again.”

“Unless someone close gets married soon,” Kurt said. Suddenly, a wide grin spread across his face. “Sam and Mercedes!”

Blaine joined in laughing joyfully for the couple. They fell into silence, drinking and holding each other close as they absorbed the day’s events. As the last vestiges of confetti were bagged away, Blaine finally gave some thought to their honeymoon.

“How much packing do we have left to do?” Blaine asked, draining the rest of his coffee and setting the cup down beside him. Kurt groaned and let his head fall to the side, landing on Blaine’s shoulder.

“Too much. I’ve barely even started putting together a beauty kit to deal with the sun exposure. The south of France is going to be amazing, but that _sun,_ Blaine.”

“Mmmm, you’re going to be covered in freckles,” Blaine murmured happily, and pressed a soft kiss to Kurt’s temple. _“Completely_ covered, too. There are nude beaches there, you know.”

“I don’t know if I trust those French boys around you when your clothes are on, let alone when they’re able to see you in your full glory,” Kurt replied, sliding his left hand into Blaine’s, their wedding rings pressing lightly against one another and making them both smile.

“I’ll never take my ring off,” Blaine assured him. “They can look all they want, but this here”--he shook their joined hands slightly--“means I’m yours. Always and forever.”

“I like the sound of that,” Kurt said, and lifted his head to kiss Blaine square on the mouth.

The conversation faded into long, soft kisses, and when Blaine finally pulled himself away, it was with a heavy sigh. “I hate to break the mood, but we might want to make our way home. We do have to be up for brunch in the morning,” he said, hopping off the stage. Kurt resisted when Blaine attempted to pull him along, groaning miserably at the idea and slumping to his side on the stage.

Blaine chuckled, tugging on Kurt’s hand. Kurt allowed himself to be pulled to his feet with a dramatic level of resistance, curling himself around Blaine immediately. Blaine pressed his lips to Kurt’s ear. “I hope you’re not about to fall asleep on me,” he whispered, “because I’m definitely not ready for sleep, but I am quite eager to take my husband to bed.”

Kurt responded as if a switch had been flipped, straightening himself up and downing the last of the coffee in his cup. “Yes, please,” he said, his eyes alight, as he began to pull Blaine toward the exit. “Although you do realize we’ll need to hail a cab, since we gave our limo away to Mercedes and Sam.”

Blaine sighed as he followed Kurt toward the door. “Damn it. That’s right. And I was looking forward to making out with you in the back of the limo, too. Oh, well. I guess a cab is just as good for--”

“We’re not making out in the back of a cab, Blaine, the driver is _right there._ ”

Blaine pouted. “Are you mad that I gave our limo away?”

“Of course not. I agreed to it, didn’t I? And besides, Mercedes called me right after she accepted Sam’s proposal. I’ve never heard her that happy. It’s worth having to wait a few extra minutes to get my hands on my husband.”

Blaine glanced around the mostly-empty room. “You know, I bet our dressing rooms are empty, if you want to try again to--”

Kurt laughed. “Home, Blaine. _Bed._ We can do this. We have the rest of our lives together, after all.”

“But only one wedding night,” Blaine reminded him.

“True,” Kurt agreed, coming to a stop a few steps before the ballroom’s exit. He turned and surveyed the scene of their earlier nuptials. “I’d say it’s been a pretty amazing wedding night so far, though.”

[[music starts]](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ViOxwoOKVEQ)

Blaine turned back and looked at the room as well. “It really, really has,” he agreed. “Kurt, it was perfect. Everything. But especially you. This was the happiest day of my life.”

Kurt smiled at him. “Mine too,” he said. “For now.”

 _For now._ Because it would always be one of the best days of their lives, but there was so much more to come. There would be milestones and and celebrations. Eventually there would be children. Maybe even grandchildren. And they would experience it all together, hand in hand, fearlessly and forever.

“For now,” Blaine echoed, leaning in to steal one last kiss before he and Kurt turned and walked out the door, hand in hand, into their future.

 

\-----------------------------------

END

\-----------------------------------

 

And now, one last time: Thank you for reading Glee Season Fix. Not only this chapter, but for sticking with us this entire time. We started this project 9 months ago, and finally our baby has been born and is entirely out there for the world to see. As promised, there will be an epilogue to give you a final glimpse into the future of all the characters you love, but it will be published outside our Sunday airing slot... sometime soon.  
  
For those who are interested here are a few additional information on Klaine's wedding:  
  
Location: [Puck Building history](http://www.tracysnewyorklife.com/2013/10/peering-into-puck-building-landmark-or.html#.VWrma8_tmko) (not used for weddings anymore unfortunately) and in particular the Skylight Ballroom: [x](https://www.flickr.com/photos/46673346@N07/4306836479/in/photostream/) [x](https://www.flickr.com/photos/46673346@N07/4307577492/in/photostream/) [x](http://www.liweddings.com/chat/p/1649774_2.jpg) [x](https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/a1/49/1b/a1491b85b153a91207fa6c280dd91151.jpg) 

Giveaways for the guests were a handwritten thank-you card and either a warbler in a cage figurine, a bowtie, or a CD with the couple’s music recommendations (and since they’re great friends, they may have slipped one of Mercedes’ original ballads in it):

All tables were named after Klaine’s dates or important locations such as “Dalton Academy Staircase”, “Table 2x20 at Breadsticks”, “Bryant Park, Ice Skating Rink”, “The McKinley Courtyard”,  “The Lima Bean”, “Think Coffee, NYC”, “Ristretto Coffee shop”, “The Crystal Theatre” “Bow Tie Chelsea Movies, 260 West 23rd Street” and many more. 

  
  
(Pictures found here [x](http://www.lovewedbliss.com/wedding-themes/vintage-wedding/red-yellow-vintage-glam-wedding-theme/))  
  
Find a selection of music that was played throughout the night here: [Youtube Wedding reception playlist](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLROpgNDpvdlFtXaU4yCjDRxUFywt0BBKp)

 ** _Unfortunately there was never a fan contest held to win roles as extras for the filming of canon's Klaine wedding, but if you want to have been part of the GSF version, here's a_[guest book](http://gleeseasonfix.tumblr.com/post/120283195016/dear-readers-of-glee-season-fix-youve-been) you can sign.**  
  
  
And as always, here are the episode stills. [You can also find them over at our tumblr.](http://gleeseasonfix.tumblr.com/post/120290909246/stills-episode-22-fearlessly-and-forever)  
[](http://de.tinypic.com?ref=16ln5p0)  
  
During the writing process, we've had several ideas for one-shots. Either because he had to cut scenes short, or simply because a night full of wedding extravaganza provides nearly endless material. So if there is anything you are interested in hearing more about, ask our writers over at the blog and leave a prompt, maybe there'll be a little bit more Glee Season Fix for you.


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